Warframe: Lines of Secession
by Kalenath Shok-Tan
Summary: What defines 'loyal? Who chooses what is 'loyalty' and what is 'treachery? Who wins when betrayal is the only possible choice? Many say the end justifies the means, but the cost for those who seek that end must also be measured. There must be limits or everything becomes murky indeed. This is a fanficton. I own no rights to Warframe.
1. Chapter 1

**Conflicted**

Stephen was not a happy Tenno.

He was what he was. A being composed of energy who inhabited a meat shell that inhabited a skin tight suit of armor called a warframe. He had never questioned his past or his future before the revelation of what was now being called 'Umbra's Sacrifice'. To find out that a vengeance crazed Orokin had not only betrayed the rest of his kind to the Sentients, but had made _copies_ of the First's warframes using unwilling hosts that he infected with the Technocyte Virus?

That hurt.

Ever since he had woken into this time, Stephen had fought as Tenno always had and would. It was what they were. Even if some of them _were_ the descendants of a mad Orokin's plot, most Tenno wanted to do what they had been doing. They had a Code, they followed said Code. It was not always easy, but on the bright side? Tenno never lacked for enemies to distract them from existential debates.

Case in point…

The Heamocyte roared again as it charged the pair of warframes, but both Tenno had done this many times since the evil putrid boil had appeared on the Plains of Eidolon just outside Cetus. Stephen dodged to the left as Cathi Gata dodged to the right and both lashed out with their chosen weapons as only Tenno could. Today, the Valkyr's weapon looked like a Kestrel boomerang but it still hit like a ton of razor sharp ingots as Stephen could attest from all the sparring sessions he had shared with the former Royal Guard. She didn't even need to throw it for this, since few Infested who spawns form this horror had ranged attacks and those few were always the first to go. The monstrosity that came when the horde was provoked enough looked a bit like the Lephantis monster, but it was nowhere near as bright. All three of the heads on the thing's heads spun to attack Cathi Gata and left Stephen a clear shot at the pink vulnerable area on the boxy headed one. He took it without hesitation. His sword had the form of a Gram today. That was his preferred look, but just like Cathi Gata, his weapon hit far harder than a regular Tenno weapon. It stood to reason. Cathi Gata's Glaive was part of her and so was Stephen's Gram. Few outside of their clan knew that but _everyone_ knew that both of them could throw their weapons and control them in flight. Stephen rarely did so. Throwing his weapon away never really sat well with him even knowing it would return to his hand. The waves from his Exalted Blade were more than enough.

The thing's misshapen head disintegrated under Stephen's energy attack and he retreated as the monster howled. Unlike Lephantis, this thing's tactics did not change. Another horde of Infested tore out of the boil and more spawn pods flew from the pulsing nastiness to land around the area. He didn't bother to engage those. It wasn't really worth the time to break them _or_ the poison they expelled when struck. The enemies were always weaker than usual, a distraction only. One that the Tenno ignored unless necessary. Today, it was not.

The Valkyr's boomerang flew unerringly to strike another vulnerable spot and the thing roared again, this time in fear filled pain as another head disintegrated. Both Tenno retreated a step but the monster also retreated, heading back towards the boil. If it got there, it be reabsorbed and another would form. The battle could go one for quite a while in that case. Tenno were fast, adaptable and all but immortal in their warframes. Infested reformed from raw biomass when slain, so battle between the two forces had gone on for ages. Literally.

Without a word, both Tenno threw themselves into the mass of Infested that were trying to screen the monster's retreat, cutting through putrid flesh and bone with an ease that defied belief. Surgically sharp biometal made a mockery of just about anything it hit. They were no more hindered by the hordes of twisted creatures than by the _air!_

The creature, realizing that it would not make the safety of the poisonous growth, turned its final head to face the onrushing Tenno. It raised its wicked bone scythe to swing and then everything stopped as a _something_ tore into it. That hadn't come from either Tenno! A loud 'boom' came from the distance. That sounded like artillery! Was that _Grineer_ artillery? Why would they shoot at the thing?

Both Tenno recoiled as forms in Grineer armor suddenly appeared atop a small hill nearby. They were not acting like regular Grineer! They were taking cover professionally, firing at the Infested who fell in droves, taken completely by surprise by the sudden flanking attack, but… Those were not Grineer colors and were those _humans_ in their midst? They were! _Steel Meridian!_ Here?

The last head blew apart, followed by another boom, closer this time. All the Infested that had been summoned by the monsters cries fell into masses of slowly dissolving biomass. Neither Tenno moved as the Steel Meridian warriors took up a perimeter and… That was a Grineer _tank_ that crawled its way forward, the muzzle of its main gun still smoking! But it _too_ bore Steel Meridian's colors, if apparently hastily slapped on. Stolen?

"Well done, Tenno. You delivered the bio-toxin. It will take a while to adapt to that version and then you will make another. And another until the boil fades again." Cressia Tal's voice sounded to both Tenno who did not move. "We need to talk. That is..." She made a sour noise. "Steel Meridian needs to talk to someone who can speak for the Tenno. We have a debt to pay."

In unison, both Cathi Gata and Stephen shook their heads. This was a Tenno's duty, not Steel Meridian's no matter how brave and stalwart the renegade clones had proven themselves to be. Not every Tenno had any use for Grineer of any kind, especially traitor Grineer, but most had seen the fury that had awoken in Sargas Ruk and many other followers of the Grineer Queens. It was hard to argue with that. Grineer were simply not smart enough for the most part of even fathom such trickery. Some of them were, but very few and for all of her history in dealing with Tenno, Cressia Tal had never proven to be false. Devious as hell on occasion, but never untrustworthy. Odd.

"You might want to move." Was Cressia Tal smiling? It sure sounded like it as the Grineer tank crawled towards the boil.

Both Tenno leaped aside as the tank sprang into motion. It sped towards the boil and a clone jumped out of the driver hatch, his face split with a huge grin.

"Clem!" The clone shouted as he rolled away from the boil and raised both of his Grakata. At least he didn't start shooting. Both Tenno backed away as the tank rolled right up onto the boil and then, predictably stopped. Nothing made by man or clone could travel on such a concentration of the Technocyte Virus for long. Hell, even warframes melted after any lengthy contact with that potency. The tank's treads jammed with a horrid screech in the mass of putrid flesh, but all the Steel Meridian troops were watching in anticipation. Both Tenno stared as the tank the erupted in a haze of evil green gas that looked familiar! That was Vay Hek's biotoxin! _Lots_ of it! Lots more than even the strongest Tenno could carry. The clone who had apparently been driving the thing shouted in triumph and this time did let loose bursts into the air from his favored weapons. As enthusiastic as he was, he didn't aim at the Tenno. He knew better! " _Clem!_ _Grakata!_ "

The Steel Meridian troops joined the cheer, but none of them fired their weapons. They started to move away in a professional formation, wary of the ever present Grineer aerial patrols. Clem looked at the Tenno, nodded to them and moved to join his fellows.

"That won't stop it." Cressia Tal's voice came again. "But three hundred kilos of the nasty stuff _will_ slow it down until it adapts." Both Tenno nodded just little at that. It would. "We need to talk, Tenno. Please ask someone who can talk for you to come to the new relay. Now that Ruk's forces have been beaten back, it is far safer than it was."

The voice cut off and the two Tenno looked at one another. In unison, they shrugged. There was nothing more do do here and they had more missions to fulfill, but they did need to report this. So, back to Cetus to report and get new missions. They both started back for the shielded enclave that the Grineer hated so much for the hope it brought and Stephen was the first to speak in the silent Tenno way.

 _That was weird, even for us._ The Excalibur clad warframe complained weakly.

 _The Force moves in mysterious ways._ Cathi Gata replied. Stephen fought a groan. Her belief in an odd energy filed that surrounded, penetrated and bound all living things together was no weirder than anything else in the clan he had been inducted into. That said? It _was_ hard to deal with occasionally. Thing was, Cathi Gata knew that. Despite her Valkyr warframe, she was anything but a berzerker. She was warmhearted and gentle when she could be. Hence why the clan considered her their matriarch. _I know I bother you._ _It is just who I am._ She reassured the other.

 _I know._ Stephen was quick to reassure her. _I still feel lost, sister. I wish I remembered who and what I was before the cryo._

 _I know._

Most Tenno had lost memories in their long sleep, but Stephen only remembered his name and his ability with a sword. Much of that was muscle memory and the fact that to him, his sword was part of him. A person did not really need to think about using a hand or a foot. For Stephen, his sword was the same way. Cathi Gata's glaive was almost exactly the same, if smaller. She thought, it moved or flew. Stephen very rarely threw his sword, but he could make it dance in the air, if not as gracefully as Cathi Gata could make her razor sharp disk of blades fly. He was trying to find a way to make the waves of energy that coruscated from his Exalted Blade dance. He knew there had to be a way, but so far it had eluded him. They flew in a straight line no matter how hard he tried. He felt there had to be a way. After all, he was energy and he could make himself move, so he would find a way.

 _That_ **will** _slow down the boil but as she said, even such a large dose will not stop it._ He said as they crested a hill and saw the gates of Cetus shine in the distance. But then a series of loud noises had both stiffening. Grineer sirens!

 _Shit!_ Cathi Gata snapped. _Night is falling!_ She paused and then shook her head. _And you have no Archwing._ She looked at Stephen and he knew what she was thinking. They were not far from the gates, but the distance meant little in the darkness that was rapidly encroaching. The menaces that lurked within the now still Plains at night were far beyond any pair of Tenno's abilities if they were not well prepared. The pair had come armed for Infested, not _Sentient_. Tenno were brave, but there were limits. Cathi Gata shook her head. _Run._

Both of the warframes took off at their fastest. Neither was a Loki or Nezha warframe, but both had speed augments built into their frames. Speed was life in melee combat after all. Strength mattered, of course. Speed and reach mattered a lot more when skilled opponents faced one another. They sped over rocks and across a river that was starting to glow eerily blue and green.

Stephen cursed himself. He didn't like flying and the clan knew it. He much preferred to have his feet on the ground to fight, especially since the Archwing variants that could be used in atmosphere prohibited the use of melee weapons. He could fly when needed, but he was not very good at it. He had borrowed one once for his initial testing when he had approached the clan and managed to crash it three times in one day. Once into the gates of Cetus! He hadn't hurt it or himself, but he really wasn't a pilot at heart like Cathi Gata was. She always moved on her feet as if she was flying and in the air or space? She had few peers. In combat or out. Her Valkyr frame was faster than his Excalibur frame, but he didn't even try to get her to leave him behind. He knew whatever she said in reply wouldn't be polite. Then when they got back to the dojo? She would get _motherly_. He almost wished she got _mean_ instead! That was far easier to deal with.

Both Tenno came to sudden halt as a sound that both had been dreading came. The mournful wail was familiar. On several occasions, Stephen had fought beside his clan against the Eidolon variants that spawned every night from the depths of the lake that had been created during a horrific battle in the middle of the Old War. That lake was the grave of many Sentient forms, but the downside? Since they hadn't been alive to begin with? Killing them was hard and _keeping_ them dead? Impossible. They were huge, powerful and their weaponry was just as powerful as it had ever been.

The only good thing about them was that they were essentially mindless. Whatever motive force had guided them had been destroyed in the fires of the Old War and-

 _What the hell?_ Both Tenno chorused silently as another roar sounded, but this one was not a Sentient! That sounded… _human?_ Light flashed in the distance and the Sentient roared again. Such did not feel pain, but it _would_ feel annoyance and then try to squish whatever annoyed it. Even warframes were not proof from such raw destructive power as was wielded by a three story tall being. But there was no sound of fighting! No clashes of biometal against biometal. So, Tenno were not attacking it. So... what?

Stephen and Cathi Gata looked at one another and then slowly, carefully crept up to the top of a rock. Vomvalysts prowled the area, but almost all of them were focused on the Eidolon that stood tall in the distance and then much smaller form. Not a human! A warframe! _Alone_ against an Eidolon? What was he, _nuts?_

Both of the Tenno went totally still as the warframe glowed a soft green and the Sentient _stopped howling_. Neither one of the dared move as the Eidolon, one of the most feared of the Sentient monstrosities, slowly bent down in a way that was inconceivable to either of them and looked at the tiny from who stood in front of it. Was it _kneeling?_ Both stilled further as soft, sad voice sounded from the human shaped form.

"I am sorry." The male proportioned warframe held out a hand to the Sentient, a hand that glowed the same color as the massive being. "I don't think I can help you. You have lost too much." A soft mournful howl came from the Sentient and the other sighed. "No, I don't blame you for that. It is all right. You can go back to sleep if you wish." He was crooning to it and the Sentient matched it! "I know that none of what is happening is making any sense to you and I wish I could help. It isn't your fault. No one who knows the truth will blame you. It is not _your_ fault! It is _Hunhow's!_ " Now the roar was rage, but still muted! The other nodded, his oddly shaped helmet sweeping the area, only to stop as it settled on the rock that the two Tenno sheltered atop of. Both stiffened anew as they realized that he saw them. " _NO!_ Not _now!_ _RUN!_ "

He was _not_ talking to the _Tenno!_ _All_ of the Vomvalysts in the area spun to face the two warframes and they both took to their heels as energy swept across the area towards them. The Eidolon did not pursue them. Its massive footfalls were retreating!

Both Tenno fled towards the beckoning white gates of Cetus, but then Cathi Gata screamed as something grabbed hold of her. Something _green!_

"No!" The former royal guard screamed aloud as the green energy swept around her and then she collapsed to the ground, her warframe's helmet eclipsed by five green points of energy. She was sobbing quietly as Stephen drew his Gran and stood over her.

"Run, Stephen!" She begged him. "It is… it is taking… I can't _fight_ it! _It is taking control!_ "

Stephen felt horror dawn, but he stood his ground. He would not leave Cathi Gata to face such alone. She had been enslaved once. He would _never_ leave her to face such alone again.

 _Over my dead body._ The Excalibur snapped. Then he broke tradition. "Leave my sister _alone!_ " He screamed into the night. He always felt that a dumb tradition anyway. "You will not enslave her without a fight!"

"I don't _want_ to!" The voice of the odd sort of warframe said savagely as he strode into view, surrounded by hovering Vomvalysts! "You are Tenno and I can feel you are true to the Code. I know such would hurt you! I don't _want_ to hurt you, brother, sister, _please!_ Stand down! Please!" He begged. "Give me your word as a Tenno that you will not fight until I can explain. Don't fight me." He pleaded as Cathi Gata screamed again, fighting with all of her power and skill to throw off what was trying to take control from her. "You do not understand! Don't make me hurt you! There is no need for violence." None of the small Sentient forms attacked. Odd.

 _I understand enough, traitor!_ Stephen snapped silently aware on some level that the other could hear him. _You will not enthrall my sister!_

"I am not _going_ to! I don't _want_ to!" The other snarled aloud. Then he sighed. "But there is far more at stake here than two Tenno lives. Far more than mine _or_ hers." He nodded to the retreating Eidolon! It stopped turned and looked at him. He shook his head. "Flee!" He commanded. "Hide. Hunhow will seek you now. It cannot find you before Mother or all is lost." The massive form made a noise that sounded conflicted? The odd warframe in front of them shook his head. "No, No, I won't hurt them and I certainly won't kill them." It made another noise, almost _chiding?_ "I give you my word. I won't! Not for me or you. I won't have to." His voice turned sour. "All I have to do is _try_ not to die while I _explain_." He sighed. "Never the _easy_ jobs… Sometimes, I _really_ don't know who I hate more. Hayden or _Nikis_."

He looked at Stephen and was that _Sentient energy_ that was pouring out of the bottom of the helmet in green waves as Stephen's world turned an oddly soothing green that matched it.

Then the warrior Tenno knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Family problems  
**

Titan

Aerie Sorge woke with a thumping heart, biting her lip to keep from crying out. It had felt so real. It had felt… She stared down at her hands and gave a small cry as she saw green energy surrounding them! It faded. Had she imagined it? She must have.

"Aerie?" A familiar voice had the girl recoiling in her bed. That was Ess. One of the Oracles! She had disturbed one of the Oracles who had saved her, given her shelter! "Are you well? I felt terror from you." The Oracle asked as she appeared nearby, her posture worried.

"I… I don't know, Oracle." To her horror, Aerie started to cry and before she knew what was happening, a warm mass settled on the bed beside her and warm arms gathered her up and held her. Biometal arms. She had never seen the Oracle outside of her Octavia warframe. A soft voice was singing to her, crooning a calming song that Aerie could swear she almost remembered. But that was ridiculous. "I am sorry." She pleaded through her tears.

"For _what?_ " Ess demanded, her usual acidic tone oddly comforting. She wasn't a nice person much of the time, but she had never been mean to Aerie. Ever. "Having a _nightmare?_ Girl..." She chided Aerie as the girl fought to stop crying and couldn't. "If _anyone_ has the right to a bit of fear, you do. You didn't disturb me." She reassured Aerie who hiccuped a bit, calming. "I was coming to talk to you and I was waiting for you to wake up on your own. I have been putting it off. I haven't had the guts." She admitted a bit sheepishly.

"What?" Aerie asked, confusion banishing her fear as Ess held her. All of the Oracles were incredibly powerful and incredibly knowledgeable. How could she not be brave enough to talk to Aerie? The girl was fully human now. Embarrassingly so on occasion, but none of the Oracles or their attendants had been rough or rude in any way. They had all been sympathetic.

"You have never been afraid of me." Ess said sadly. Aerie thought about that for a moment and then shook her head. She hadn't. She had been wary of all the Oracles and all of the others who served them no matter how kind they acted. She had been tossed into a new body in a new situation in a strange place surrounded by strangers. A bit of caution was perfectly understandable. They had never assumed otherwise. They were always kind to her even when she had been a pain in the butt on occasion. She had been afraid of all the others until their gentleness had won some relaxation. Never Ess. She had never been afraid of Ess. Odd. "You do not know why. You do not remember."

"Oracle Janet explained." Aerie said in a very small voice. "She said my memory was taken."

"Yes, it was." Rage sang deep in Ess' voice, but it was directed at Aerie. Somehow she knew that. Somehow, Aerie knew she was perfectly safe in Ess' embrace no matter how carefully other Oracles walked around the clearly unstable Tenno. Tenno in warframes were scary enough. Tenno with sanity issues were pure horror in many Orokin legends that Aerie remembered from her time as a servant. "That lousy Orokin took you from your home, took your memory from you, but left you the ability to sing. He wanted a songbird and songbirds don't need pesky things like minds of their own." Regret sang in the ancient female's tone. "The one who did the crime died for it, but you were gone, bartered away among the golden scum until you wound in the clutches of the one who wanted to preserve you as you were for eternity."

"As glass." Aerie gulped as Ess hugged her gently.

"It is over." Ess promised her. "It is _over_ , Aerie! No one is _ever_ going to hurt you again while I live." Ess wasn't acting like an Oracle now. Not distant, all seeing, all knowing. Aerie turned to look at her and Ess nodded. "This will bother you, but I need to show you the truth. I need to show you how badly I failed you." _She_ was crying now!

"You?" Aerie's confusion grew. "I didn't know you." She paused as pieces of various conversations she had overheard started to coalesce in her mind. She had always been meant to gather information and her mind was just as sharp now as it had been when she had been a walking, talking glass spy bot dispenser for an Orokin master. She went totally still as Ess hugged her again. "I _did_ know you, didn't I?"

"You did." Ess said sadly, holding the girl. Aerie shook her head and, greatly daring, reached up to lay her arms around the warframe. It felt strange, but also oddly familiar. Just like Ess' voice and singing. She _did_ know Ess. Somehow. But from where? Ess sighed deeply as Aerie just held her. "I have been sick most of my life, Aerie. It isn't a physical malady. It is in my mind. The visions I have as an Oracle, I denied them for the first twenty years of my life." Aerie hissed and Ess nodded again. "When they hit me full force near the end of my Warrior training as Tenno, they hit hard and the backlash cost me my sanity."

"No." Aerie begged as she hugged Ess tight. Ess had a smile in her voice when she spoke again.

"I got better, Aerie, but it didn't last." Ess slumped a bit but kept her arms around Aerie. "I sought any means to recover and finally found solace in song. In dance. In letting my emotions run loose in music. The problem was that my visions echoed in my music and they caused all kinds of problems. Recently, I have found other, better ways, but that is very recent. For most of my life, I was a hair's breadth from madness and often fell into the horror that lurks within me even now."

"You are not a bad person!" Aerie protested. "Not a bad Tenno!"

"No?" Ess heaved a very deep sigh and Aerie went still as the faceplate of the Octavia warframe split open and retracted. The face that shone inside it was familiar! Aerie stared at _her_ face! No… It _wasn't_ her face! The face was older than hers, but oddly ageless. It was lined with the marks of both rage _and_ grief. "I ran off and _left_ you to the mercy of that blasted Orokin!" Ess said, tears falling down her face inside the frame. "I had to get away! I couldn't _stay_ there, Aerie! Your father lied to me! He told me things that were not true and used my visions to hurt people! Lots of people. Then I nearly hurt _you!_ I couldn't stay!" She spoke through her tears as Aerie stared at her, feeling her world start to spin. "You will hate me and I deserve it, but..." She broke off as Aerie pulled her close.

"Mother?" Aerie asked, her voice even smaller than before. Ess nodded and Aerie started to cry. But it was in joy! "You are my mother?"

"I bore you into the world, yes." Ess said sadly. "You were not Infected and I didn't care! You were my heart, my joy, my love. My _everything_. But then I fell _again_. I almost hurt you. I almost _strangled_ you while you were crying in hunger one time! It wasn't your fault! You were a baby and hungry! I tried so many things after that and I couldn't… It didn't… The music couldn't be denied and I… I almost… So many times, I almost killed you and I _couldn't_ do that! I ran and your father brought me back. Many, many times." She broke off as Aerie hugged her tighter. "I couldn't stay there! I _couldn't_!" She tried to extricate herself from Aerie, but the girl did not release her. "The last time… I ran harder and smarter. I left you there and your father chased after me. He never did catch me that time. I went into cryo to escape him. To protect you from me. That Orokin found you vulnerable. He took you and what he did to you… When you were found, after, you were not _you_ anymore. You didn't remember your friends, your school, your father, me… You had a life, such as it was. The one who found you chose to leave you there. He made the right choice. You were happy." The Oracle slumped. "I am to blame for what happened to you. Feel free to blame me. I didn't expect to ever wake and you would be safe! From me!"

"That Grandmaster Tenno blames himself too." Aerie could not have missed the hate that crossed Ess' face if she had been blind. "Mother?" She asked carefully.

"What is between me and the Tenno known as Sun is between us, Aerie. It need not concern you." Ess was quick to comfort the other. Deep rage sang in her tone, but she squelched it. "Yes, he cares for you in his own way. I do not like him. I do not trust him, but I do know he cares for you or he would not have done what he did to help Oracle Janet recover your mind and give you a fresh start. He likely has reasons for his actions that I will not approve of. I will _never_ be part of his agendas by choice again. You will make up your own mind about him. I hope your interactions with him are less painful than mine were." Ess shook her head and changed the subject. "You had another nightmare."

"I didn't mean to bother you!" Aerie pleaded, but Ess gave her a shake.

"You didn't!" The Oracle promised. Then she grinned. "Trust me, if you had bothered me, you would know." Ess held her at arms length and scrutinized the girl. "Do you remember your nightmare?" Aerie shook her head.

"It was weird. I have had nightmares that I remember, woken up screaming many times in my life. This wasn't like that." Aerie admitted. "It wasn't bad. Not until the end. When I woke up, I almost screamed, but it didn't feel bad." She said weakly.

"We have been worried about you, Aerie." Ess admitted. "This hideaway is a safe place. Well hidden and well protected, but you are not an Oracle. You are not even a telepath, thank _god_." The Tenno shuddered dramatically and Aerie nodded. She had heard a bit about what telepaths went through. "That said, the sheer power in this place is daunting. We have been worried you might experience odd effects. Bleed back effects from psi powers in use. We have been watching ad have taken precautions." She reassured Aerie when the girl cringed. "We don't want anything to happen to you. I am not insane now." She smiled at Aerie shared it. "I know how to keep it from happening. I can be around you without fear now and I..." She started to cry and Aerie just held her. "I..." She tried to speak and couldn't.

"It is all right, Mother." Aerie said quietly as she held the crying Tenno. "It is all right."

"No, its not." Ess retorted, but relaxed. "I missed so much. I caused so much harm, so much grief. Now? I have a chance to fix things. If not what I messed up, then other things. I have a chance to help Oracle Janet make things a bit better and I am taking it." She bowed her head. "I fear that you cannot stay here without harm. You are not powerful enough or protected enough. I cannot go. I cannot leave this place. I cannot leave the music or my madness may come back."

"You are alive." Aerie said softly as she stroked the warframe's helmet. It should have felt cold, metallic. It didn't. "I am alive. Again." She made a face and Ess matched it.

"I could hope for the rest of your life to be slightly less stressful than it has been." Ess said sadly. "But I cannot see what will become of you. All the Oracles love you. We are too close to see what will befall you. I think that is a good thing."

"What?" Aerie asked, confused again.

"Eh, please take my word for it." Ess groaned halfheartedly. "Changing things makes a hell of a mess. We just had a huge mess that enveloped all kinds of people and it has taken quite a while and quite a bit of effort to- What? No!" She exclaimed as another form shimmered into being nearby. " _You?_ " She hissed as the male sort of warframe bowed to her. "Get out!" She snapped.

She was suddenly between Aerie and the newcomer. But he wasn't hostile! He seemed sad!

"You do not want to hear this, Oracle Ess." The newcomer said sadly. "But you need to. Your little girl is in trouble. Call Nikis. Now." He pleaded.

"And I should just _trust_ you, Kronus?" The Oracle demanded, power flaring across the arcs that dominated her arms from elbow to wrist.

"No." The newcomer, Kronus, declared. "Call _Nikis_. _Now_. I can hold her away for a bit, but only Nikis can _stop_ her!"

"Why would you want to stop me?" Aerie felt faint as both of the warframe spun to stare at her. She had spoken, but that _wasn't_ her voice! "I never hurt our kin."

"No..." Ess breathed. " _NO!_ " She screamed and power flashed all around the room. It didn't touch Aerie. " _Leave her alone!_ "

"Call Nikis, Oracle!" Kronus begged as he fell to one knee. " _I can't hold her!_ "

"What the-?" A dark and forbidding voice that Aerie remembered with terror sounded but the terror did not touch her even as the Grandmaster of the Dead himself appeared right next to her bed. He took the scene at a glance and then Nikis sighed. When he spoke, it was calm, but deep and heartfelt sadness colored it. "You shouldn't be here."

"Why do you all think I will hurt her?" Was the voice coming from Aerie was warm but confused? Aerie was too.

" _Nikis!_ " Ess begged as she reached for Aerie but her hand couldn't quite touch the girl. Was Aerie fading? Was _Ess?_

"Hurting people is what you do. You ain't takin' her." The ancient Tenno in the pitch black Nekros warframe warned. "You know who I will call if I have to, brat. Don't you make me do that." That was pure threat even as Kronus fell to both knees.

"Nikis." The other female voice was warm, sad, and anything but hostile. "You know I don't hurt humans. I never hurt humans."

"No." Nikis said sourly as green energy flared around his hands. "Hurting _Tenno_ is good enough for you and your 'best buddy Oris'." That last was scornful.

"Nikis." The other sounded hurt now. "You _know_ me!"

"I did. And to my shame, once I trusted you. Never again. I will never forget nor forgive, Galintra." Nikis said softly. "Let the girl go. Now. Or I _will_ call them no matter the consequences. Hayden and I argued. I didn't want to give you brats a second chance. He did. And what did you _do_ with that chance? You squandered it just like you squander _everything_."

"Nikis… I know you won't believe me, but I am sorry." Whatever was holding Aerie released her and she fell into Ess's, crying as Ess grabbed her and held her, power flaring all around the furious Octavia warframe. When the other voice spoke again, it was sick and sad "I want to make it right."

"Really?" Nikis snapped as the green energy around his hands faded. "You can bring back the _thirty-_ _seven_ of our kin who died and were unrecoverable in your _fucking war?_ " The fury that the Grandmaster's cold scream made the very walls shake.

"Nikis!" The other stared at the Nekros, too all appearances scandalized. "Language!"

"Shut the _hell_ up!" The furious Guardian snapped. "You do _not_ get to talk to _me_ about _ethics_ , you stupid warmongering bitch! You do _not!_ "

"Nikis, please..." The other begged. "I just wanted to talk to the girl! Her fear called out to me. I wanted to see if I could help her! I wasn't going to do anything more!"

"Yeah, _right_!" Nikis spun to glare at Kronus who shook his head. "Well?"

"They are _both_ back." Kronus gasped out and Nikis snarled something that Aerie did not know. It had to be something vile from how Ess reacted. She hugged Aerie so tight it nearly hurt. "I don't think she meant for it to be bad, but it was." He slumped. "I… I will pay… for traveling, but I had to… To stop her. It was bad. She doesn't plan such, but it gets _bad_. The Tenno survive. _Humanity_ doesn't."

"Damn." Nikis slumped a bit. "And here I kind of hoped that you would learn your lesson. Silly." That was to _both_ of them! "You just can't change can you, Kronus? Any more than _she_ can. Gotta meddle even when it is dumber 'n dogshit."

"No." Kronus said sadly. "I tried, Nikis. I did. I just can't stop. It like breathing for me. Do what you have to."

Nikis nodded and when he looked at the bed, a green haze of energy formed over it. It shimmered and then became a young female Tenno who stepped to be off it. She was ageless as only Tenno could be, but young. Maybe Aerie's biological age of seventeen? She was crying.

"I am trying to fix it, Nikis!" The other begged. "I really am! I don't know _how_."

"There are some things that _cannot_ be fixed. What you and he did was one of those." Nikis snapped as he turned to Aerie. He shook his head as she quailed from him. Ess just held her, crooning softly. The Octavia's energy did not fade. "I am sorry, Aerie. Don't mean to scare you."

"What is going on?" Aerie begged as the spectral Tenno female looked from her to Nikis who growled.

"Well?" Nikis asked the obviously scared non-corporeal Tenno. " _You_ gonna tell her or shall _I_?" That was pure malice. Orange energy flared across his fingers. "And if you lie _this_ time, I _will_ hurt you, I _will_ enjoy it and then I _will_ call your _father_." At that, the girl recoiled, but then slowly nodded.

"You um..." The energy Tenno swallowed hard. That was clearly not an idle threat. "Your name is Aerie. You spent some time in a cave underneath the Plains of Eidolon. Your energy is distinctive and it called to me when I arrived back here. There. Your pain and fear called to me. I wanted to help you and see if you could help me." Aerie stared at her and the other sighed. "Nikis. Please, do not shame me."

"Do I gotta?" Nikis demanded. "You and that other fool cast more shame on our kind that anyone else in our history has ever managed to. Every renegade and traitor to the Tenno Code since you two has been measured against what you did and found wanting. You two hurt us worse than anyone else ever has! If you or that other brat try _anything_ now that you are back, I _will_ burn the _both_ of you to _nothing_. You know I can. I should have done it _before_." Cold, hard, merciless but also sad and sick?

"I know you can and part of me wishes you had." The energy Tenno said quietly. She looked at Aerie and her face was bleak.

"Aerie? My name is Galintra and I am a traitor to the Tenno Code."


	3. Chapter 3

**Helping**

Aerie was well beyond confusion.

It only got worse when Nikis started to laugh. His laughter had more than a hint of madness in it and Aerie shuddered in Ess' arms as the chortling Guardian of the Dead advanced on the bed where the energy form stood.

"A traitor to the Code." Nikis scoffed as the energy form retreated a bit, almost all the way to the wall. "I guess you _could_ say that. _If_ _**either**_ of you morons had actually _bothered_ to follow _any_ of the rules that Hayden finally set down in writing after your stupidity came to its end with your death and Oris'." The vitriol in his words was made worse by the fact that his voice was almost inaudible. He was furious, but cold. So cold. He shook his head as he raised a now orange glowing hand. The green energy being recoiled but slammed into something that couldn't be seen. "Now, now. I know you are gonna be stupid, but you ain't touching that girl, ya brat. Come'ere!" He snarled as she backed up again, hitting the unseen barrier, her face terrified. "This is really gonna hurt and you have earned every ounce of this pain."

The energy form screamed as Nikis drew a sword from nowhere. Aerie all but screamed herself as the Dark Sword pulsed with evil energy. Ess pulled Aerie further away from the bed and turned her away from the scene. From whatever was about to happen. Aerie buried her face in Ess' shoulder armor and cried.

"I wasn't going to _hurt her_ , Nikis!" The other begged. "I wanted to help!"

"Like you helped Jos?" Nikis inquired coldly. "Like you helped Amy, Rich and Gordon? Like _them?_ "

"No." Galintra begged as a hum started to build. "Nikis… I don't… Call Nyx! She can verify my intentions!"

"Nyx told me and I quote 'If you see that witch again, kill her, destroy her energy and make damn sure this time'." Nikis was still talking in that awful, quiet voice.

"Nyx said that?" Galintra asked weakly. "I… Nikis… I want to make it right!" Green flared around Aerie's vision and the other made a noise of regret. 'Nikis! Let me explain! She needs help that I can give! I won't hurt her!"

"Bullshit!" Nikis all but spat that. "Go ahead, run away like the cowardly little shit you are. You try to hurt Ess' little girl and I will call Will to come and collect whatever I leave and _this_ time, I will tell him to drop your dumb asses into a _star!_ Good luck getting out of _that._ "

"The wardens know I am here. I won't hurt her, Nikis and I swear I won't let Oris hurt her either." The other said very quietly and then something grabbed hold of Aerie. All aerie could was scream as she was wafted away from Ess. It didn't hurt, but she couldn't fight whatever held her. The last thing she heard before green tinged darkness took her was her mother's scream of rage.

Aerie was screaming as she landed on something soft. Something touched her neck and suddenly, she couldn't move at all. The hands straightened her out as she whimpered in fear.

"Easy." Galintra's voice sounded from close at hand. Sad, sick, scared, all of that, but underneath lay hope. "I am not going to hurt you, girl. Oh, Aerie." A hand rubbed her hair gently. "I know you are scared. Nikis is terrifying at the best of times, which these are not. That time traveler was right, though. I will mess things up. Which is why I asked for help. Mi'Lady?" She begged as another set of hands touched Aerie and the girl felt her whole body go numb. It didn't feel bad, just very odd.

"Don't call me that, Gal. You know my name." A sour voice spoke from nearby and Aerie felt her jaw taken in careful fingers. Her head was laid down and the voice clucked as Aerie clenched her eyes shut. "I am not going to hurt you, girl. Aerie, is it?" She sounded honestly worried. "You are a mess, but not beyond our skills. I hope." She qualified. "Let me see what is going on with you."

"You… hope?" Aerie fought the words that came from her mouth. She hadn't wanted to talk!

"Yeah, I hope." The other said with a sigh. "When Gal approached me and the Clan Lady, we didn't know what to think. Nikis is _not_ someone to cross but _this_ …?" A hand was touching Aerie's neck now, feeling her pulse. Another was on her brow and she felt something. It was odd whatever it was. "Ah, damn. You were right, Gal. It is happening. Slowly, but inexorably. I don't think anything can stop it without killing her and you know what would happen then."

"Oh." Galintra's voice held sorrow now. "I can't let that happen, Healer Sharlina. I _can't_. After all of what I did, what Oris did, our quarrels and our feud that ended so badly, we _cannot_ let that happen again. Not to an unwilling. He and I do not agree on much, but we _will_ agree on that."

"What is going on?" Aerie demanded. Or, she tried to. Her jaw barely moved. Someone's hand moved to her jaw, soothing soreness she could barely feel.

"Easy, girl." The other was kind and several hands were gentle as they soothed Aerie's soreness away. "That method of transport took a lot out of you. You are still in your reality, but it took a lot out of you. You are going have to sleep for a bit to recover. While you do, I will see what I can find out about this kind of change. See if we can stop it. But you _have_ to sleep now."

"NO!" Aerie fought to sit up, to move, to do anything and she couldn't. "Don't touch me! Traitors! Monsters! I..." She jerked away from the hands, tried to anyway. All she could do was cry as Galintra sighed.

"What Nikis said was the truth, Aerie." Galintra said sadly. "I did horrible things. I thought they were needed. I was wrong. A whole bunch of people paid the price for my hubris. Mine and Oris'. Neither of us thought about the long term consequences. What is happening to you is not what I did. It is far gentler for one and far slower for another. I brought you to people who may be able to help you. I will face Nikis' wrath for that, but if I can _save_ a life? Even what he will do to me will be worth it."

"We may not be able to save her, Gal." The other warned. "I swear we will try, but we may not be able to. You need to sleep now, Aerie. We will do everything we can. I will go do some research." Something changed and Aerie felt whatever she as on shift. It was enclosing her?

" _LEAVE ME ALONE!_ " Aerie screamed weakly as something warm was laid over her. It seemed to wrap around her. Then something stuck to her face. It too warmed her goosebump covered flesh. She smelled green flowers? Then she was falling into blue.

She felt…

She was...

* * *

A hidden place

Galintra fought hard not to cry as Aerie was lowered into the stasis tank. She knew enough to stay out of the way of the small form who hurried from machine to machine around the tank, face intent. Finally, the female form with the long, pointed ears shook her head as she backed away, her face desolate.

"I am sorry, Gal." The elf said sadly. "There is nothing I can do right now. If I try to stop the change, I will kill her. You know what will happen then. Her life energy is changing."

"Damn it!" Galintra snarled, but not at the healer. "I didn't do this to her! Oris didn't do this to her! Who _did?_ "

"Whatever happened was not recent." The elf offered and then she slumped. "I need to get back. I am not supposed to be here at all. The change won't be soon, unless she perishes and she won't in that tank. I will do some research when I get home, but I don't think I will find anything. This kind of change is fundamental and permanent. You need to tell them."

"They won't _believe_ me, Sharlina." Galintra said heavily. "And frankly? I don't _blame_ them. I wouldn't believe me either! I lied to _everyone_. A lot. They will think I did it." The elf looked at her and Galintra shook her head. "I didn't do it! I wasn't here! And even if I had been? I gave Raviine my word after she finished _beating_ sense into me. Oris didn't do this either." That was sour, almost grudging. "I know his methods like I know mine. This isn't his work."

"Then someone duplicated your work or his." The elf said quietly, laying her hand on the transparent surface underneath which Aerie slept, her face still frozen in a rictus of fear. "Poor kid. She might choose such."

"Not by my hands or my will." Galintra said softly, but with enough force that the elf looked at her. "She was not given a choice any more than the ones I did it to. I gave my word. Sharlina. I won't break it. I will see what I can do to ease her, but I have no right to choose a life for her any more than I had the right to take the lives of the others and make them what I did. She didn't choose, Sharlina. Even at my worst, I _thought_ I gave mine a choice! I was wrong, but… I thought I did. Neither I nor Oris gave our recruits a choice."

"For what it is worth, Gal?" The elf stepped to where the flesh body that contained Galintra now stood and laid a hand on its arm. "You make us proud that you want to face your past with all of its horror and try to make things better now. It is a hard road, redemption. You and Oris both can walk it though."

"Coming from you, that means a lot, Healer Sharlina." Galintra bowed her head. "I was _such_ a selfish little shit when you first met me, wasn't I?" She asked with a small, sad grin. "I will keep trying to make you all proud." The other smiled, nodded and vanished in a clap of blue. Galintra laid a hand on the tank and bowed her head for a long moment and then she retracted her hand, turned and strode from the room, her steps sure. Her steps faltered as she entered the next room and saw two _warframes_ lying on the ground, both encased in green energy! "What the hell have you _done?_ " She demanded of the warframe clad Tenno who stood by one wall.

"They saw me talk to the one Mother wants rescued." Her one time nemesis said heavily from his Revenant warframe. "I didn't think to check the area before I started talking to her. They saw me talk to her. I knocked them out. No more."

"If you have done _anything_ more, we are _both_ dead." Galintra snapped and then forced herself to relax. "I… I apologize." She said with a groan. "I am very upset. The poor girl _is_ changing."

"Ah shit." The male Tenno said weakly. "I had hoped Sharlina could do something. Damn. I assume it wasn't a clean extraction?"

"You could say that." Galintra sighed as she bent to one knee to check the still Valkyr warframe. "Nikis showed up." Oris hissed and the female Tenno nodded. "I was getting ready to talk to the girl when she woke. I wanted to pull her into a virtual world to talk, but she woke as soon as my energy touched her. She talked to her mom. I tried not to eavesdrop, but I couldn't very well _leave_. Poor kid has already been through hell. I do not have all the information, but she _is_ an Oracle's daughter and the Oracle was losing her mind." Oris gasped and Galintra nodded. "From what I heard, her mother ran away, both to get away from the father _and_ to try and keep hurting the daughter. I am not sure who the father is, but from what I heard? The Oracle hates his guts."

"Damn." Oris swallowed hard. "And I thought _my_ family had issues."

"Me too." Galintra agreed. "It gets worse." She warned as she finished checking the Valkyr and started checking the Excalibur. Oris stiffened. "An Orokin took the girl, wiped her memory." Oris stiffened in rage and Galintra nodded. "Apparently, she sang quite nicely and you know how the high caste felt about pretty things after Talia passed. Some weird time traveling Tenno showed up and blew my cover. Then Nikis showed up and yes, he is still mad at me. Can't really blame him." THe male Tenno nodded, but remained silent. "All I could do was bring her here, let Sharlina try. _She_ can't stop it."

"Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap." Oris actually staggered back to the wall. "They will think _we_ did this to her."

"They hadn't detected it yet, but yes. They will." Galintra sighed deeply and sat beside the still Excalibur. "It is not what we did, but it is way to close for comfort. She didn't have any idea. Whoever it was didn't give her the choice."

"We _have_ to." Oris said quietly. "What we did..." He sighed deeply. "They cannot forget or forgive what we did any more than we can forgive ourselves. Sharlina couldn't do _anything?_ " He all but begged.

"The healer managed to slow it and the girl is in stasis for now. It won't accelerate that way and she is safe unless her body dies. Sharlina slowed it." Galintra repeated. "No more. All this? For nothing? They will kill us. They will kill both of us for something we didn't do. We earned death for what we did do, but this?" She gave a small sob. "We never changed a human child!"

" _Is_ she a child?" Oris asked, only to have Galintra rise to her feet, growling. "Galintra..."

"We _cannot_ tamper with her! You _know_ this!" The female Tenno snapped. "You heard what Brathanor said! 'The child must not fall'. We can _not_ let her fall! We _will not let her fall_." Steel might have bent under her tone.

"We will not let her fall." Oris agreed, bowing his head. After a moment he shook his head. "What can we do then? If we do _nothing_ , she changes and probably goes mad. If we interfere, _anything_ we do can cause more harm than good."

"We need more information." Galintra said slowly. "And…" She paused, looking at the silent warframes. "I think I may be able to get some."

"You are not thinking… what I _think_ you are thinking… are you?" Oris asked hesitantly. "They were _very_ upset, Galintra."

"I don't blame them." Galintra sat down beside the still Valkyr and laid a hand on the crested helmet. "We were not here for whatever destroyed Orokin but from what little I have been able to find out, it was a godawful mess. Mother didn't tell us much at all when we contacted her and we cannot contact her again until and unless we can help the other nurturer." She paused, her hand on the warframe's helmet. "How bad was it?"

"Bad." Oris said heavily. "Her mind isn't really there. Whatever happened to her was really, really bad. I confused her and the splinters of her mind that take physical form. I wasn't hostile and I managed to get through. Just barely." He slowly shook his head. "That Hunhow thing has a lot to answer for."

"The end justifies the means." Galintra bowed her head. "You and I both know how far one can fall when one thinks that their way is the only way." Oris nodded, his posture sad.

"I told her to hide, to wait for me to try and find a way to help her." Oris slumped a bit. "I think I got through. I hope I did."

"Neither of us are deities, Oris." Galintra paused and then choked back a sob. "No matter we may have once thought."

"Yeah. Pride indeed goeth before a fall." Oris agreed and then shook his head. "Touching her mind will be dangerous, Galintra."

"I know." Galintra replied a bit absently. "But she feels familiar. I don't know her." She mused. "But… She _does_ feel familiar."

"The other said something very odd. Something about her being enslaved? I tried to get them to stand down. To let me explain. But hey, someone working with their enemies means they have to fight to the death." Oris shook his head. "It is what Tenno _do._ Kill enemies."

"Yeah, it is." Galintra shook her head. "Okay, yes. I can do this. I can pull her mind into a virtual environment and I think I can keep myself safe there."

"You _think_?" Oris sounded dubious and Galintra shrugged.

"Her mind is ordered in a way..." She broke off with a hiss. "Holy _shit!_ She is _Royal Guard!_ " The flesh clad Tenno was stunned.

"What?" Oris recoiled a bit. "Um… Are you sure?" Galintra looked at him and he slumped. "Never mind. Of course you are." He paused. "Is that good or bad?" He asked carefully. He had reason.

"Good question." Galintra laid both of her palms on where the temples would be on a human, careful to avoid the sharp points on the helmet. "It might be good _or_ bad. It is good in that I know how to identify myself in a way that cannot be faked and _bad_..." She trailed off and Oris continued for her.

"...in that she will know who you are and what you did." The other said softly. "She will react poorly. I can't do it. She saw me. If she sees me again, she will fight."

"We have to save Aerie. That was what we swore, why they let us come back. Our own lives are meaningless after all of our crimes, but her? She is needed." Galintra said with a growl. "If this Guard demands my life, you will give it to her."

"Galintra!" Oris protested.

"We came back to fix something that is far larger than either of us. Something that may very well destroy what we _both_ thought we were fighting to save." Galintra focused herself as she had not in a very long time. "In a virtual world, I can defend myself. Even from one of my Dad's proteges. I can explain. I hope."

"And if you can't?" Oris asked, worry for her sounding in his tone. Once that would have been utterly unthinkable, but things had changed.

"Then hopefully, _they_ can find a way to keep Aerie from turning into a Tenno."


	4. Chapter 4

**Beware the Dark Side**

Galintra appeared on a featureless plain and sighed deeply. She clad herself in a nondescript set of gray coveralls, along with gray boots and gloves. She was very careful to make absolutely sure that nothing on her person could be construed as a weapon. Not that Tenno _bodies_ were not weapons even outside of warframes, but still… She tried.

"This is really going to hurt." She said to no one. "I know that. I cannot say I am looking forward to it. But Tholi are like Tenno in one regard. We do what we must, not what is easy or free of pain."

She focused her mind and then gasped as the plain she had been in vanished. She fought for calm and achieved it, barely as she was suddenly standing in a huge room that was oddly familiar. The walls were stone, brown with age. As she stared around, she saw tattered banners on the walls. What was that symbol on the banners? It wasn't any Tenno symbol she knew. A red bird of some kind? Or half of one? She stood on a raised platform at one end and another raised platform showed at the other. Stairs led down from where Galintra stood to a path that went to the other platform. Nothing showed between the platforms. Nothing to hide behind. No cover at all.

"I hope you have a very good explanation for this." A calm, quiet voice heralded another being into view. Galintra stiffened as a female Tenno appeared kneeling on a raised platform at the other end of the room. What was she _wearing?_ The attire was not Tenno garb! Some kind of hooded robe, brown woven _cloth_ if Galintra wasn't mistaken. Not Tenno gray tech weave. And _w_ _hat_ hung from the belt that surrounded her waist? A sword _hilt_? Galintra felt fear the likes of which she had rarely but then she relaxed. This wasn't where she had been. That _wasn't_ the Lord of the Darkstorms. This was bad, no question but she had a chance. She wouldn't if Will was here. That dragon had no sense of humor about some things.

"I do, actually." Galintra bowed to the other, who _had_ the occupant of the Valkyr warframe. "I… We have hurt you and for that, I offer apology. My companion did not wish to harm you and your companion, but he did."

"When offering such, it is customary to introduce oneself." The other female did not move. Did not raise her hands from where they lay on her crossed legs. "Or do you claim ignorance of common courtesy?"

"I do not claim ignorance." Galintra said very carefully. "I claim fear." The other looked at her, a lone eyebrow arcing in a way that had to be rehearsed. "I will tell you my name, but when I do, you will react badly. Before I do, I must beg something of you."

"You ask for trust but give none?" The other was still mild, but disapproval sang in her voice.

"No." Galintra sighed. "I do not ask for trust. Such would be foolish. No matter who you are or who trained you, you will never trust me." The other just looked at her and Galintra swallowed hard. "I was sent to aid a girl who is the daughter of an Oracle named Ess." The other did not react and Galintra shook her head. "I doubt you know the girl Aerie, but she is seventeen in human years. Not quite an adult. She is in grave danger and I was sent to aid her. It is part of my penance."

"Penance, I understand." The other said quietly. "But what has that to do with me? With you taking control of me?" Rage sang deep in her voice, but her control was incredible. She was the mistress of her emotions, not their slave. Galintra couldn't help but admire her skill.

"I do not know what my companion did, but I can guess." Galintra said softly, not daring to move. If the other had taken control of the environment, which cautious testing showed she _had_ , then Galintra's life and very _soul_ were in danger. "We are trying to help Aerie and another. He said you saw him talking to the other. He could not let you report such."

"You… are trying… to help… a Sentient." The other said very slowly, feeling each word out with care.

"A wounded one, yes." Galintra met the other's eyes. "I don't know what happened to it. I was not here for the Old War. I… was gone."

"You were gone? You seem familiar and not in a good way. Identify yourself. Now." The other declared as she rose to her feet, her robe billowing as she freed her arms from the sleeves and dropped it at her feet. She paused as Galintra held up a hand.

"Aerie's vital energy is changing!" Galintra pleaded. "I did not do it to her! Someone else did! Can you sto-" She gave a scream as _something_ grabbed hold of her and flung her into the air where she was pulled to hang in front of the other. The other's eyes suddenly were glowing a reddish orange. Galintra was spun in place and her coveralls were ripped form her shoulder. A shoulder that was bared to show the tattoo of a Royal Guardswoman with a bar through it. The brand on top of the bar, marking through every piece of the tattoo. The mark of a traitor and not just _any_ traitor.

"Galintra." The other said very quietly as Galintra was spun back around. The suspended Tenno felt fear rise as the other drew her sword hilt and a blaze of red energy erupted from it to form a sword shape! A lightsaber! Galintra felt faint. She recognized this place now! Star Wars! The Yavin IV throne room! "As bad as what I did was… You reap what you sow."

"Hurt me as you will, Royal Guard-!" Galintra screamed as the sword tip bit deep into her arm, then was withdrawn. "But help Aerie!"

"Your treachery is known. Your life is not mine." The other declared as pain flared across Galintra's whole body. That wasn't the sword. Was it? " _He_ declared you excommunicate. _He_ is the one who will take your life. _I_ will not sully even my tainted self dealing with you. Be _gone_ , you treasonous _filth!_ "

" _WAIT!_ " Galintra screamed as the world started to fall away. She grabbed out recklessly and held on for dear life to the other's mind. "Aerie needs help! I cannot help her! I did not do it! Someone-" She screamed anew as more pain hit her. Royal Guard were well capable of defending themselves from almost any conceivable form of mental attack, but Galintra was not attacking. She was begging! "Do what you will, Guardswoman! I deserve it and more. But Aerie is an innocent! She doesn't deserve this!"

"There is one little problem with that lie." The other said coldly from nowhere and everywhere around the sobbing, hurting Tenno. "Ari is _dead._ "

"No, she is not." Galintra pleaded. "Not yet. But if… If she is changing and dies… She will turn into a Tenno! An insane one! Just like… Just like I made..." She gasped as she landed on a hard metal surface. She stared up at black armor, a long black cloak and a black helmet. The familiar villainous form from the same movie held up a hand and Galintra felt her windpipe start to crush. She managed to gasp out words. "There… is… no… emotion… There is peace. Jedi do not kill their prisoners. I surrender."

Everything stopped. When Galintra stared up, she lay on the featureless plain again. The other female Tenno staring at her from her knees, her face utterly blank.

"You did _not_ just say that." The other said softly, incredulous. "You really expect me to take your word for _anything_?" She demanded. "As bad as what I did was, I had no choice. You _did!_ "

"Did I?" Galintra asked, sadness in every syllable. "I was my father's daughter in every way. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to be larger than life. I wanted to surpass him. To be more. Better than myself. I thought I could do it. Make it all good. I was wrong. What I did… There can be no forgiveness. No forgetting."

"How many did you kill to make your sycophants?" The other demanded, her tone cold, but controlled again.

"A hundred and seven humans perished so I could make Tenno out of the ones who passed my tests." Galintra said quietly. "And yes, their souls cry out for vengeance." She looked away. "I never touched anyone younger than twenty human years of age. Aerie is _seventeen!_ " She pleaded. "Kill me, hurt me or just lock me away until you can call _him_ … It doesn't _matter!_ _Aerie_ is what matters! Not me." She slumped and then she screamed anew as something grabbed hold of her left leg and yanked it at right angles to her body. A sick 'crack' sounded and it bent very much the wrong way. "GO ON!" Galintra screamed. "Keep hurting me! I deserve it! _SHE DOESN'T!_ "

The pain came in waves and she fought to pass by it as she had been taught. As she had done far too many times in her career where she had been dropped unceremoniously by Nikis. It just kept coming and she just kept begging for Aerie's life. Not her own.

"Stop." A cold male voice sounded and the pain stopped. It wasn't anyone that Galintra knew. Something slapped her face and the new voice did not quite sigh. "Cathi Gata! Stop! She clearly wants you to hurt her!" That was a command.

"You have no call to interfere." The Guardswoman said with a growl of annoyance. "This is not vengeance. This is justice."

"There is a very thin line between those two, but I am not arguing." The other replied. "Not about _her_. She is one reason Mag formed Tenno Intelligence in the first place. Her and her 'holy war'."

At those words, Galintra wilted further even as the pain faded completely. It was all in her mind here, but that made it worse in some ways. Far worse.

"I..." Galintra stared up at a white Loki Prime and shuddered as he looked her broken form over. "What I did was wrong. I know that now. I cannot be trusted. I know you will not trust me. All I want to do is help Aerie."

"Where is the girl?" The Loki demanded, his tone odd. Not calm, no, but emotionless. The other Tenno threw up her hands and stepped back, her face set.

"Safe for now." Galintra replied, her mind whirling. What was wrong with his tone? Something was off about him. Wrong. He wasn't angry. Not nearly as angry as Nikis had been. He clearly knew who she was, or had been and now? Wait… _Who_ was he? What was he doing here? How had he gotten here? Had Cathi Gata summoned him? No. The other Tenno seemed just as shocked at his appearance as Galintra was.

"Where is the girl?" The Loki demanded as he stepped closer.

"What is she to you?" Galintra screamed as the Loki grabbed her broken leg and gave it a yank.

"I am asking the questions here." The Loki said flatly. "Where is she? What have you done with Ess' daughter, traitor?"

"She is changing!" Galintra replied, her mind spinning in circles. "I didn't do it, but I know the mechanics! That is why I was sent! To try and _stop_ her from becoming Tenno!"

To her stunned amazement, the Loki didn't hurt her again. He retreated! The female Tenno looked at him and then at the fallen, broken form that Galintra inhabited.

"Nikis summoned him." The Loki said sternly and Galintra felt faint. "Your time grows short, traitor. What have you done with the Oracle's daughter?"

"We put her in stasis." Galintra said softly, still trying to figure out what was wrong with this. "That will stop the change until we can find a way to reverse it or… something. I hope." She slumped a bit.

"Where is she?" The Loki stepped forward again and this time, a table appeared beside him. A table filled with devices for causing pain.

"I cannot tell you that." Galintra said with a gulp. She knew very well the feeling of being tortured. She had been in her service where she had gone. More than once. Once her _employers_ had realized she couldn't die, they had used her as they used all of their tools to protect their people and their world. Ruthlessly. Nothing could possibly be worse than Thrōm-vai interrogation on someone who couldn't die. She hoped anyway. "You can do anything you want here and now, but I cannot tell you that. I am sure you can break me, but even if you do, I will not tell you that. I will die first." A calm descended upon her as her fate approached. "Whoever you are, _what_ ever you are. I cannot tell you that. She is far more important than one lost, broken traitor. Do what you will. I will not tell you that." She looked at the other. "For what little it is worth, I am sorry. My name is Galintra Darkstorm and I am truly sorry for the pain I caused my family and so many others. Beware anger, Tenno or suffer my fate."

"Sun..." The female Tenno started, but paused as Galintra hissed.

" _Sun!_ " The fallen Tenno said with a growl. She couldn't move, couldn't fight as the Loki approached, a gleaming tool in his hand. "You! _You_ hurt Ess!"

"What?" The female Tenno stared from one to the other as the Loki reached for the fallen traitor. She stiffened as Galintra screamed.

" _CATHI GATA! BEWARE THE DARK SIDE! WAKE UP!_ "

Then he had her and all she could _do_ was scream.

* * *

Reality

"What? No!" Oris pleaded as Galintra's flesh form fell over, her breath stopping. He grabbed for her, only to freeze as a growl sounded and the Valkyr warframe slowly sat up, a Glaive unfolding from her hand. He looked at the clearly furious Tenno and then shook his head. "Kill me if you will, Tenno, but my sister needs me."

He ignored her to focus on Galintra. The other's mind was screaming in pain as her body died. He reached out in a way that few in this reality could even define and grabbed hold of her mind. He had no time to be gentle. She was sobbing as he pushed her mind back into her body.

He sat back as Galintra's body heaved once, twice and then she gasped and he eyes shot open.

" _NO!_ " Galintra screamed and stared around wildly. She jerked as the Valkyr rose to her feet, her Glaive ready in hand. Galintra held up empty hands. "Tenno Cathi Gata, you will not trust either of us. You cannot. I know this." Her hands shot up as Oris started to speak. "No! Do _not_ speak! _Aerie_ is the important one here and there is far more going on than we thought. Far more players than we knew. Trust no one, not even _me_. He did something to my mind. Send us to the Plains. All three of us." She nodded to the Valkyr and the still unconscious Excalibur. "I surrendered to her. My fate is hers. I accept it. It has been far too long coming."

"Sister..." Oris pleaded but did not move. His warframe wasn't modded. He had no chance against the furious Valkyr when he didn't take her by surprise. He bowed his head and nodded even as the Valkyr stared from one to other, her Glaive poised to throw.

"Tholi'ar, brother." Galintra lay back down as green energy flared around her, the Valkyr and the Excalibur.

"Tholi'ar, sister." Oris intoned as well as the trio vanished, only to reappear in bright sunlight.

Galintra shook her head as she stared up at the sun. The Excalibur groaned beside her but the Valkyr did not move.

"It is not fair." The Excalibur complained. Both females looked at him and he sat up. "Why do I have a hangover if I didn't get drunk?"

"You can't get drunk in a warframe." Galintra said with a trace of humor that faded as the Valkyr growled at her. She eyed the still furious and ready to kill Tenno. "Beware the Dark Side, Tenno."

"You… You bitch!" Cathi Gata growled. "You lying, _sanctimonious_..."

"Cathi Gata..." The other Tenno said as he rose to his feet. Galintra did not move. "What happened? Who is this?"

"This was once the _daughter_ of the _founder_ of the Tenno Royal Guard." Cathi Gata said with a snarl of pure hate. "Once. No _more_. She is a liar, a traitor and a murderer."

"Yes, I am." Galintra replied calmly. Both Tenno looked at her and the flesh clad form shrugged. "Deception is pointless at this juncture. My life is over and my death will likely take a long time even by Tenno standards. I just hope _someone_ can find a way to help Aerie or this was all for nothing."

"Stop! Talking!" Cathi Gata tone wasn't a growl. It wasn't a snarl. It was something far, far worse. A primal scream of rage that spoke of hate, loss, grief. All of these and so much more.

"Clem." An utterly unexpected voice sounded and Galintra stiffened as a misshapen form stepped into her view. It was armored like some kind of soldier, but hunchbacked? It looked from one Tenno, to another, to another and then shook its armored head. "Clem?" The being dropped something at Galintra's feet and she stared at it. It wasn't a weapon. It wasn't anything she recognized. It was some kind of sphere with a ring around it? It was glowing orange! "Clem."

"Whoever you are? Please, leave." Galintra begged. "I have far too many lives on my conscience as it is."

"He can't." _Another_ male voice sounded and both armed Tenno froze as six dark red armored forms appeared in puffs of black smoke around them. "Neither can I." Stalker said with a nod as his Acolytes all took aim at Galintra! For her part, Galintra just shook her head, not daring to move. "Atlas wants to have a _word_ with you."

"Yeah. I bet he does."


	5. Chapter 5

**Prisoners**

She hadn't bothered resisting.

The six odd red armored forms were clearly not allied with the two Tenno. They did not like one another or trust one another. As soon as they had appeared, the Excalibur had drawn a massive two handed sword from nowhere. Something had passed between the Valkyr clad Tenno and the apparent leader though and no one had attacked the other. Galintra hadn't spoken. There really wasn't any point even though it was clear that the Valkyr was losing her temper. Maybe her mind.

They had not been gentle in searching her and in binding her. Her arms were strapped behind her back tightly enough that if she tried to move them, something would likely break. Not satisfied with that, they had put an odd collar around her neck and it inhibited her energy somehow. She couldn't sense anything beyond her skin. It wasn't any tech she knew and it was likely not something she could break or fight. Then they had _gagged_ her and blindfolded her! Talk about overkill!

Then again… When she thought about it? For the being she had been once? It wasn't.

She had been an evil bitch. She had killed humans, Tenno and anyone else who had gotten in her way. She had killed three Royal Guard who had tried to stop her, including… She fought back the memory with a sob.

"How much longer?" Cathi Gata demanded. "Your very presence makes my blood boil. My brother is no better." A growl of annoyance came from the Excalibur.

"How do you think _I_ feel?" The one who the Excalibur clad Tenno had called 'Stalker' at one point replied just as coldly. "The only thing keeping me and mine from spilling your blood is that neither of you was around when the Tenno betrayed Orokin and destroyed it."

 _What?_ Galintra felt faint. That was not possible!

"Yes, I know your oath to defend the Royal Family is dust along with everything else you swore." Cathi Gata snapped right back. "But not even _you_ can deny when _the Commander_ calls."

Wait! _He_ was Royal Guard? And from their words, hunting and killing _Tenno_ … This made no sense to Galintra. Tenno existed to protect humanity from the Technocyte Virus. Why would they… Unless… She stiffened. The one named Cathi Gata had said she had been enslaved. No one would _dare_ do that to a Royal Guard… except… maybe Royalty. And if _that_ had happened? Ah shit! She moaned and fought hard not to react as someone kicked her.

"Be silent, traitor!" Stalker snarled. "Your life is his, not mine. As soon as he is done, we are enemies again!" He said to the other.

"It _cannot_ be soon enough!" Cathi Gata retorted, the darkness inside her rising in her voice. Galintra turned her bound eyes towards the voice and shook her head quickly. "Oh, just lie there like a good little traitor and wait to die already!"

"Maybe we should listen to her." Stephen said slowly. _Everyone_ must have glared at him for that, because he continued quickly. "You both say she is a liar, but if this Aerie _is_ in danger then she knows where the girl is. She may be the only one who does."

"The one who disabled us is there." Cathi Gata snapped. "I felt his mind. I can find him." Galintra snorted in derision. They had no idea what Oris was now. The Valkyr sighed. "Someone shut her up! Cut her throat if you wish."

"If we kill her, her energy will reform." Stalker mused as something cold pressed against Galintra's neck. Something sharp. "But… Atlas' time will be limited and her reforming may take longer than he can stay."

"That actually made sense." Cathi Gata sighed deeply. "What the hell is our world coming to when _we_ are allies?"

"Good question." Stalker replied. "Neither of us will believe a word she says, but she is not resisting. She knows it is pointless." He sounded thoughtful. Then he sighed. "She is not pleading for her life, trying to make a deal or talking at all except when _you_ do. She is not..." He sounded confused. "This is not what I expected."

"And that is what she _wants!_ " Cathi Gata declared. "She _wants_ us confused so she can take advantage. It is what she _did_. You saw the same records I did. You know what she did. What we found out afterwards. What she and Oris did to humans. What she did to her own _mother!_ "

At that, grief welled up in Galintra. There was no excuse for what she had done. She had hoped to have a chance to make something better, but now? She was dead. If there was any justice in the universe, whatever hell she landed in would be worse than her life as a Darkstorm. She would not go to the database, she knew that. No Guardian would let her anywhere near it. The wardens would not interfere. Not after she had begged them not to.

"Oh, come on!" Cathi Gata all but grated those words out. "Stop the tears already! We all know you are a manipulative bitch, so don't try!"

Galintra tried, but she couldn't stop crying. The Darkstorms had called it her 'prison of grief' and that was apt. She was trapped in it again. She hadn't realized what she had done. She hadn't had a _clue_. She had just thought to use her mother's energy in the final duel, not what it would do to the one being who had loved Galintra with all her heart even after Galintra's Tenno had fought Oris' Tenno to a very bloody stalemate. She hadn't realized until far too late that she had utterly destroyed her mother and for what? Nothing. To her shock, the gag was removed from her mouth.

"Just stop." Stalker demanded. "You know that neither of us will believe a word you say."

"All I say is _this_..." Galintra turned her head to where the voice of the Valkyr had come from. Tears were still falling and would for some time. "Beware, Guardswoman. _Beware_. The movie put it very well. 'Once down the dark path you tread, forever will it dominate your destiny'. My destiny is to die in a horrific fashion for my crimes and I accept that. I will greet it gladly." Someone kicked her, but she kept talking. "I deserve this. Aerie does not. I did not change her. Oris did not change her. _We were not here!_ "

"Where were you then?" Stalker demanded.

"In another reality. A horrible and wonderful place where Nikis dropped our energy after Hayden begged him not to destroy us. Do not spread that!" Galintra slumped. "Maker, I wish he had destroyed us. Hayden didn't know all of what we had done. I take it you do."

"Yes." Cathi Gata's voice was calmer. Sort of. "We do."

"Then… You will not believe me, but I accept my fate." Galintra said firmly. "What I did in that other place was horrific and _needed_. I was given a hard job that was suited to my skills. I did my job to the best of my ability and in doing so, I learned a lot. About others. About myself. About the costs of when we think we are above the law." Her blind eyes turned to where Stalker's voice had come from. "You seek vengeance for Orokin. You know they hurt Aerie."

"I do not know any Aerie." Stalker replied with a snort.

"She says that Aerie is Ari, a girl made of glass." Cathi Gata did not bother to hide the disbelief in her voice.

"The one who died at the convocation?" Stalker asked and then scoffed at the other's gasp. "A _human_ called an old style convocation! Of _course_ I paid attention!" His voice turned back to Galintra. " _And_ … you say this girl who was dead but now it not is now changing." He too did not bother hiding his disbelief either.

"Her vital energy is changing from human norms to Tenno." Galintra said quietly. "And yes, before any of you ask. It is very similar to what I did. To what Oris did. That is why we are here. It is not the same, but it _is_ similar. Someone altered her energy and it _will_ kill her. I don't know when, why or even how, but someone else is trying to make her a Tenno against her will."

"Someone else." Stalker snarled. "Yeah, right. Even _Tenno_ know better than to do _that._ "

"Do they?" Galintra asked. "I didn't. Oris didn't. Someone else may have found records of what we did. I did not leave any that I know of, and neither did Oris, but it is possible."

"Oris." Cathi Gata all but hissed that. " _That_ is the one who disabled us! He is here too, isn't he?" Galintra did not reply and an iron hand grabbed her face, pulling her off the ground by that. " _Answer me!_ "

"Beware the Dark Side." Was all Galintra said as she was shaken by the hand that held her face.

"You lying bitch!" Her head was slammed to the ground. Once, twice, three times. Then it stopped in the middle of slamming a fourth time as someone coughed.

"She wants you to kill her." The voice… Galintra knew the voice! Atlas! "I don't know why, but she _does_ want you to kill her."

"Sir." Came from both Cathi Gata and Stalker as the hand released Galintra's face. She crashed to the ground and didn't dare move even if she hadn't been dazed by the impacts. Armored boots snapped to the ground beside her. Cathi Gata continued, she must have been of higher rank. "Guard reporting. Prisoner secured."

"So I see." Atlas' voice was cool, remote. "Nikis only told me she and the other were gone. He would never say where. No matter how angry I was at the time, I probably didn't want to know." Galintra bit her tongue to keep from talking. It would not help at all. Now his voice turned resigned. "I always knew she would come back eventually. No matter how well he imprisoned her, or how far away he tossed her, she _would_ come back. But like _this?_ " He made a noise of thought. "No warframe. No weapons. No horde of allies willing to die for her. No plots or tricks except _one_ hostage. That is _not_ like the Tenno who was my daughter."

Even now, that hurt. Being cast out of the Guard had been bad. Being disowned had been worse. Only Galintra's mother had stayed with her and that hadn't ended well either.

"She mentioned working with Oris, sir." Cathi Gata said formally. "That makes no sense, sir."

"True. I would have though the chances of such about on par with hell freezing over." Atlas replied. "You know better than to trust anything she says."

"Yes, sir. One thing, sir. There _was_ another Tenno there." Cathi Gata said reluctantly. "He never gave his name. He was not hostile. Odd but not hostile."

"So she _does_ have an ally here." Atlas had a nod in his voice now. "Good to know. Any information we get from her will either be a lie or a misdirection, so… I guess I better just do it. Then I will give her to Nikis and he will have fun."

"Sir, she took a hostage." Stalker was clearly not happy, with the situation or in having to work with a Tenno? Hard to say.

"So Nikis said." Atlas heaved a deep sigh. "Some things never change, do they, Galintra?"

"One thing has." Galintra said very softly. "You will not, _cannot,_ believe, but I _am_ sorry, Atlas. Do what you must."

"I want to believe you." Atlas said heavily, old pain and regret sounding in his gravelly voice. He had been a heavy smoker in his life before he had become Tenno and no matter what anyone tried, they had never been able to make his voice sound right. That was one reason he had taken the name he had. Rock. "Even after everything, a small part of me wants to believe you. But I cannot. Where is the girl?"

Just like that, his regret vanished and he was all business.

"There are many subterranean caves that riddle this plain." Galintra kept her voice level as heavy footsteps approached. "She is in a stasis pod. Shielded and protected until someone can help her. You cannot believe, but I swear that is the truth." She slumped. "Not that any oath I swear would mean anything after everything I did."

"One might." Atlas said slowly. "Swear on Nova's memory that what you say is true. On all of what you cost her and me." Galintra couldn't help it, the tears came again. "Swear it!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Galintra pleaded. "I didn't _know_ … I… I killed my mother. I know I did and so much worse. I failed her. I failed you. I failed Hayden! I failed _everyone!_ I thought I was a _goddess_ for fewmet's sake! I didn't have a _clue_ what I was doing!" She slumped. "But I did. No one could tell me otherwise. I was such a _stupid_ little-"

"Swear!" Atlas' word rumbled the ground beneath her.

"I swear by Nova's memory, all that I have left of the being who bore me into the world, that the girl Aerie is safe in a stasis pod." Galintra managed past her tears. "That her energy is changing and I did not do it. I swear that on the pain I cost you and Nova, on the grief that I finally endured when it was rubbed in my face by a _real_ deity that I _wasn't_ one!"

"You were to me." Atlas was crying softly. "And then… You did what you did. Ah, girl..."

"Do what you have to, Atlas." Galintra forced herself to relax. "This has been a _long_ time coming."

"Clem!" The other hadn't spoken for some time and Galintra had thought he had left. But he hadn't! He spoke up now and he sounded almost accusatory. Then he spoke again. "Clem!"

Armored boots that did not feel like biometal straddled Galintra's body as she recoiled in shock. What was this guy? _Nuts?_ No one with any brains at all got between Atlas and his target. They hadn't called his primary attack form 'Landslide' for nothing.

"What in the world?" Atlas asked for everyone. "Ah, Guards? What is this?" He sounded somewhere between amusement and disbelief.

"I don't know." Cathi Gata admitted. "Clem, what are you _doing?_ " She demanded.

"Clem!" The other declared and a hand touched Galintra's face, pulling her blindfold away. An armored faceplate that was odd stared back at her. Was it upside down? She didn't dare look away from the white armor. She didn't dare look at _him_.

"No." Galintra begged as he grabbed her hand and pulled it towards her feet. "Don't! Just let it end. This needs closure!"

" _Clem!_ " The other snarled and laid her hand on the odd orange thing at her feet. Nothing happened and she stared from it to him. He curled her fingers around it and spoke again. "Clem!"

"You silly clone!" Cathi Gata snapped. "Move or _die!_ " The armored form shook his head.

"Clem!" He replied, moving to stand beside Galintra. Protectively? He was glaring around and no one seemed to know what to do.

"I am going to go out on a limb here, but this odd being is standing between me and her." Atlas said slowly. "He is not hostile, nor is he raising any weapon, but he is not moving. He has no chance against me, but he clearly does not want to me to kill her."

"Clem." The green armored form nodded in agreement.

"And all he says is that." Atlas sighed."And here I hoped my un-life might turn a bit _less_ strange than my life was." That was so long suffering that Galintra had to smile a little despite the tense situation.

"Clem." The hunchbacked clone said and then he bowed to Atlas. "Clem!" Was he _begging?_

"I do not understand." Atlas said heavily. "This being has earned death many times over." Clem slumped and nodded. "And you _agree_." The clone nodded again. "So… _why_ are you-?" He broke off with a sigh. "Let me guess? 'Clem'?" He asked sourly.

"Clem." The other nodded.

"Just shoot him and be done with it!" One of the red armored forms snapped, but stilled as Stalker spun to glare at her.

"You raise _any_ kind of weapon without Atlas' permission in his presence, Torment, and you will be lucky if you wind up a _statue_." Stalker warned. "He used to turn people into _dust_ for doing that."

"Once." Atlas replied without heat. "I did that _once_ and he did a _lot_ more than _raise_ it." He sighed. "The reputation helped, but still, getting the dust out of everywhere it went in the Royal Quarters was a _pain_." He made a noise of sour approval. "You are a brave being, if a bit on the silly side. We do not understand you and my time here is limited. Can you make your wishes clearer?"

"Clem." The other nodded and pointed to the sky. He waved to both sides and then at the sky again.

"You want us to go with you." Cathi Gata was more than a bit dubious. " _All_ of us?"

"Clem." The clone nodded vigorously.

"Ah..." Stalker and Cathi Gata both chorused that in the same incredulous tone.

"And _her_." Atlas said slowly.

"Clem!" The clone agreed, nodding vigorously again.

"What are you doing?" Galintra begged. "Don't _do_ this!" Instead of answering, the clone laid something on her chest. She stared at it and then her eyes widened. Then they blurred as tears came back. "Atlas..." She gasped. "This is… No... This is not _possible_!"

A golden armored hand that was covered in rocky spines reached down into her view. It picked up the small thing that the clone had laid on her chest and her gaze followed to see the being who had once been her father staring at the tiny doll. It couldn't possibly be but it sure _looked_ like the golden miniature katyusha doll that had been her mother's most prized possession. A gift to the First Nova from the First Nyx on the birth of her first and only child. It had been with her mother when Galintra had done what she had done. Destroyed with her mother.

"Clem." The clone said firmly, pulling at Galintra's shoulder. She couldn't move her arms and didn't dare to shift as the Atlas Prime warframe looked from the doll to her.

"You won't be able to tell me where you got this." Atlas said with a grunt. "Can _anyone_?"

"Clem!" The clone nodded, but kept pulling on Galintra. It hurt, but she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Nikis won't be happy, but I think I can spare a little time. It won't take long to do what I have to." Atlas did not look at Galintra and she was happy for that. "So… Where to?" He inquired. "Or is that 'Clem' too?" He demanded of the clone who shrugged.

"Clem." The clone rolled Galintra over, picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all. He started off and more than one of the watchers gasped at his audacity.

"Well, I have been told." Atlas' heavy footsteps followed. "I just hope whoever you are leading us to can say more than that."

"Clem." The armored form carrying Galintra replied and more than one person sighed as they followed.

"How did I _know_ you were going to say that?"

"Clem."


	6. Chapter 6

**Discipline**

Stephen could not understand what was going on. He trusted Cathi Gata with his life, but this was insane! He had been told that she had been Royal Guard when he had been inducted into the clan. He had been told a lot of things, some of which were very hard to believe.

Like right now.

 _Sixteen_ Prime warframes now surrounded the clone that still carried Galintra. The traitor hadn't struggled at all, even when Stalker had been dismissed by Atlas along with his Acolytes and the others had restrained her with golden bonds that glowed with ancient, fell power. Stalker had been a shock. Seeing him appear along with all of his sycophants had been jarring, but then, he hadn't attacked! That was odd to say the least. Then... Atlas… Stephen kept his mouth firmly shut. Atlas had asked his intentions and he had replied that he was Cathi Gata's clan mate. The Guard Commander had simply nodded and not pressed further. Stephen appreciated that. He was reeling.

Strata Relay was very quiet as the odd group stumped through, It wasn't very loud in the place generally, but it was always humming with activity. Not now. There were guards posted around, but none of them moved to block the group. That was wise of them. Atlas was not loud, but he was clearly not happy either. The portal they had taken to get here had been quick, but then, they had been met by what were clearly more Royal Guard and Stalker had left. No one had drawn weapons, but it had been close. Only Atlas' growl of warning had let the red armored boogeyman and his minions leave in peace.

"You don't need to stay, Stephen." Cathi Gata tried again, very quietly as the pair walked, not quite in the group that surrounded the clone and Atlas. They all radiated disapproval of Cathi Gata.

"I think I do." Stephen replied calmly. The Gersemi Valkyr clad form shook her head but did not press. "They may be called as you and the other were, but I am _not_ leaving you alone with them."

"Brother, they are not stupid." Cathi Gata said with a wince. "I… What I did was wrong and they punished me." Atlas looked at her and she shook her head. "It is not germane, sir."

Atlas looked at her, looked at the other warframes and then beckoned to Stephen who stared at him. The First Atlas just looked at him and Cathi Gata sighed.

"Don't keep him waiting." She said a bit weakly. "And whatever the hell you do, do _not_ insult him."

"I might be crazy, sister." Stephen said as he started forward. The other primes made way for the Excalibur., but all moved to block Cathi Gata who did not even try to follow. "I try not to be stupid."

"Could have fooled _me_." Cathi Gata muttered, not even close to under her breath. "Idiot Tenno."

Was that a chuckle that came from Atlas?

"Sir?" Stephen asked as he matched paces with the clone and with Atlas. He did not salute as the others all had on arriving. He was not one of them.

"Despite what some of these may say… I am not in habit of smashing people simply because I can." Atlas said flatly. "I have to be given cause. You are in no danger from me right now, Tenno. Your name is Stephen, I am Atlas. You do not seem surprised by my arrival." His tone was both querying and approving.

"I have met others of the First in the line of duty, sir." Stephen said quietly. "Good _and_ bad. You are Tenno. That is enough for me."

"For me too." The First Atlas shook his stumpy head. "What did she do?"

"Sir!" Stephen protested but kept his voice low as they passed into a large hall that had a flaming statue of an Ember dominating it. "I cannot tell her secrets! What is between the others and her is between _them_. I have no right to interfere."

"I am not asking that." Atlas paused and then sighed. "Or, I did not _intend_ to ask such. There is clearly some tension between the others and her. The red armored ones..." He made a noise of disapproval. "Clearly _they_ have fallen in some say, but they _did_ hold to discipline. If just barely. So has she. Discipline is what we are. _All_ that we are. It is all that made me what I was."

"A damn fine brother." Stephen said flatly and Atlas looked at him and then at the bound form that the clone still carried. "Whatever mistakes you have made, whatever regrets you may have, you are Tenno. You serve."

"Tenno serve, we do not rule." All of the Prime warframes bowed their heads at that as did Stephen and Cathi Gata. The clone came to a sudden halt as _Galintra_ did the same! Atlas stopped short as well as Stephen fought to keep form passing him. "What the-?"

Everyone was staring at the bound Tenno now, even the clone! She did not move. Indeed, she _could_ not move. The golden chains that circled her ankles and wrists paralyzed every muscle in her arms and legs. Her face was all but covered as well with a golden cloth that both blinded her and silenced her. It _should_ have kept her from hearing as well. But if she had reacted to the ancient Tenno oath… And come to think of it, _why_ had she reacted that way? Stephen didn't know the whole story, but what he did know was bad.

"Set her down." The one time Commander of the Royal Guard commanded and the clone did as instructed. Despite his lack of vocabulary, he wasn't stupid. He knew that Atlas was not one to anger. Atlas reached out and pulled the golden cloth from Galintra's face. The female Tenno had been crying nonstop, but none of the tears had passed the cloth. She averted her reddened eyes even as tears continued to fall. She would not meet his gaze. Atlas slowly shook his head. "Damn it, girl. You know there is no use in lying to me now. You led your coterie with an iron hand. You brooked no disobedience and punished any such with horrors that defy belief. It took _centuries_ for the few survivors of your madness to recover at _all_. You _cannot_ expect me to believe that you adhere to the Tenno Code."

"I expect nothing but a gory death." Galintra replied, his voice hoarse as if she had been screaming. The cloth worked both ways. "You will not believe and I do not blame you. I cannot-"

" _YOU!_ " A furious voice sounded and Stephen was hardly the only one to recoil as an Octavia warframe ran into view. She bore no weapons. She had no powers active, but her power was roiling. " _WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?_ " The Royal Guard tried to block her, but she lithely evaded them, slid right through their circle in an awe inspiring display of acrobatics. She ran up to where the clone stood, still holding Galintra whose face was to the floor. She held up a hand to slap the immobile Tenno, but Atlas caught her hand. "Let me go!" She snarled, fury sounding, but musical. Odd. She struggled, but he was far stronger than she was and she was not going to break that grip. "I will kill her!"

"You are Oracle Ess? If so, you have a right to your anger. If we can save your daughter, we will." Atlas said firmly. "But my claim on her life is far older than yours."

"I will kill her!" The other snapped and tried to hit with her other hand, but Atlas grabbed that and she was going nowhere! She growled at him and insanity sounded in her voice when she spoke. "My name is Ess. She took my daughter! I want her back!"

"She took many lives, Oracle." Atlas replied even as the Prime started to close in. "No." He commanded and they retreated. Cathi Gata hadn't moved. He shook his head as he looked at Ess. "You have a right to your anger." He reassured the furious Oracle. "She has said that your daughter is in stasis. Safe. I cannot believe her words, but she swore an oath to that effect that even I have difficulty believing that she will break."

"She… she took Aerie and I… I couldn't see her and..." Madness and fear rang equally in Ess' s tone and Stephen shook his head. He knew what to do. His clan had been briefed.

"Focus, Oracle." Stephen said very quietly but firmly enough that every face went to him. "Focus on the music. Not your perfectly justified rage. The _music_." Everyone stared at him but Cathi Gata nodded. "Feel the rhythm. Feel your love for her give you the strength to face your darkness and- Whoa!"

Everyone backed up a step as the Oracle suddenly flared with energy, but… it was musical. It was beautiful, calming. Atlas did not release her even when his hands started to smoke! She stared at Stephen and seemed to wilt, but the music did not fade. The smoke from Atlas' hands did.

"I am sorry. I am sorry. I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" She begged as she slumped in Atlas' grip. He shook his head. Rock _did_ have its uses. "I… Oh my god, what have I _done?_ " She stared around wildly and then she she moaned. "Oh no. Where am I?" She pleaded.

"You are on Strata Relay, Oracle Ess." Stephen stepped up to where the Oracle was crying softly now. He laid on a hand on her shoulder and fed energy carefully into her. He could feel her weakness despite the music that was not fading. He worked hard to stabilize her and she slowly recovered a bit. "It is okay, Oracle. It is okay."

"No, its _not!_ " Ess snapped. "How did I get here? Did I teleport? Portal? They can be tracked! I just _betrayed_ my _people_! People who trusted me!"

"No ya didn't. Not for lack of tryin', Ess." A familiar voice heralded Nikis into view, but the ancient gunfighter wasn't angry. If anything? He was sad. Everyone made way for him as he strode up to Atlas who nodded to him. The Grandmaster Guardian of the Dead nodded back. "We knew you would run as soon as you heard anything. We covered for ya."

"Damn it, Nikis! You _cannot_ keep doing that! Even _you_ have limits!" Ess rounded on the gunfighter and more than one person gasped, but Nikis wasn't fazed.

"Yeah, I do." Nikis replied as he took Ess from Atlas and Stephen. She all but collapsed into his arms, her sobs slowly fading and Stephen could almost see the insanely powerful Nekros helping her stabilize her energy. "But we do odd things for those we love." He looked at Atlas who slumped and nodded. "I got your message. Show it to me." The ancient Royal Guard Commander held out the tiny statue to Nikis who took it and scrutinized it. Then he shook his head and held it back to Atlas. The Guardian sighed deeply. "Okay, yeah. It looks like I remember. That _is_ good reason to take a bit more time out of the database. We do odd things for those we love." He repeated and just held Ess as the Oracle fought for control and managed to slow her sobs.

"Yes, we do." Atlas agreed. "Tell her what you told me, Galintra." That was a command. Galintra probably would have nodded if her bonds had let her.

"Oracle Ess, I was sent by someone you know to help Aerie." Galintra said very quietly. "I cannot say who sent me or where I was. I am sworn. You will figure it out from my words, I am sure." Nikis eyed her but did not interrupt so she continued. "What I did here in this reality can never be undone. It cannot be fixed or forgiven. No matter what else happens, I am guilty of crimes that damn me for eternity. But… I have knowledge of what is happening to Aerie. Her energy is changing from human norms to Tenno. You did not do it. I did not do it. I do not know why or how or even who did it, but I know that _someone_ is changing your daughter from human to Tenno against her will."

"What?" Ess looked at Galintra and then at Atlas. Then she looked up at Nikis. Neither of ancient male Tenno moved. "We cannot trust you." She said weakly.

"Such would be foolish indeed after all of what I did." Galintra agreed. "After all the lies, all the hate, all the death. Nikis, Atlas, everyone… Their rage is perfectly understandable. _I am guilty_." She said with a growl. But then she shook her head, calming. "Your daughter is _not_. Whoever did this to your daughter has a plan. Likely an evil plan. They also likely have about as much idea what they are doing as _I_ did. As Oris did. I do not believe that they understand the implications any more than I or Oris did. The consequences could have been _far_ worse that a bloody feud and a barely averted civil war."

"I saw what you did." Ess said flatly. "I looked for her, I saw what you did." Galintra bowed her head. "I _cannot_ trust you!" She all but sobbed that.

"I do not ask trust." Galintra frowned and then continued. "As I say, such would be foolish. I swear by the pain I caused the being who sired me that your daughter is hidden in a safe place. She is in stasis and the change will not accelerate while she is in such. I know of no way to stop such and none of the people I have consulted have such knowledge either. Do you?"

" _You_...are asking... _me_?" Ess asked slowly, incredulous.

"Your golden peer speaks very highly you." Galintra said with a soft, sad smile as Ess jerked back, staring at her. Then the not quite insane Oracle chuckled a bit wetly.

"You put her _there?_ " She demanded of Nikis who shrugged, still almost hugging her. "That was..." She paused and then nodded slowly. "Poetic."

"I was useful there." Galintra said sadly. "Even with all my delusions, I was useful. I did get the crap kicked out of me many times before I finally realized just how stupid I was acting. You couldn't get through." She said to Atlas. "Not past my own madness and rage. None of you could. You were too kind, too worried about harming me." She mused. " _They_ were _not_." She slumped a bit. "Immortal I may have been as energy, but I am not a goddess and I learned that lesson all too well. From a _real_ one."

"Who?" Ess asked carefully.

"Eliantra." Galintra said with a groan and Ess winced hard. "Yeah. She was… not pleased with me." Nikis whistled in awe and she nodded. "Yeah."

"Goddess of healing… plus an intransigent immortal... She hurts you and then heals you..." Nikis actually winced as everyone but Ess and Galintra stared at him. "Ow."

"Yeah, 'Ow'. I am never going to like you, Nikis." Galintra snapped, but it was almost mocking? "But having the shit _literally_ kicked out of me for a few 'out of space and time' _centuries_ was likely the best thing that ever happened to me. When I finally _did_ listen to her, she and I had a _very_ long talk and she showed me just exactly what I had done and how. What _could_ have happened. I tried to die during that discussion many, many times and she never let me." _Atlas_ winced at that. "When I came out of that prison, I wasn't the deluded little bitch that had been tossed in. My name here is Galintra but my name _there_ is Galintra Darkstorm. It took me a long time and more than a few 'ow' moments to earn that name but I did. When I heard about this, I knew I had to come. To face my past. I will pay for my crimes here. That is not in question. What _is_ in question, Oracle, is your daughter's fate. I may not be able to help her, but Oris is here too and he too had a massive change of heart." She shook her head. "For pretty much the same reason." _She_ winced.

"Do I want to _know?_ " Ess asked as everyone else but Nikis looked confused.

"The Breaker is not one to anger." Galintra said with a groan. Nikis and Ess _both_ winced _hard_.

"Oh!" Ess gulped. "You… You swear… By _him_?" Galintra or whoever she was spoke words in language that Stephen did not know, but both Ess and Nikis slowly relaxed.

"What is going on?" Atlas snapped as Ess slowly extricated herself from Nikis' embrace. The gunfighter stepped back, his posture wary, but less hostile.

"You will not trust me." Galintra said flatly. "You cannot trust me. You _must not_ trust me. Whatever is happening to Aerie is _far_ too close to what I did for comfort. It is not _what_ I did, thank gods and goddesses, but it is _far_ too close."

"She will start having urges, won't she?" Ess asked sadly and Galintra nodded. "Oh no."

"What is going _on?_ " Atlas repeated, anger clearly rising.

"Nikis threw the energy from the beings who were once your daughter and her mortal enemy into a very bad place at a very bad time, probably in the hope that she and the other would die there." Ess said softly. Galintra and Nikis both nodded. "She did not."

"Oh, I did." Galintra corrected Ess grimly. "Many times. A few times almost as bad as anything Tenno could do to me. But as Tenno do, my energy reformed. You will make sure this time, Grandmaster?" That was a plea.

"No promises." Nikis grunted and Galintra sighed.

"Best I can hope for. All that said, Atlas..." Galintra said with a growl. "I _do_ know what discipline is now. I have fought _my_ wars for longer than you have been alive _or_ undead. You have a right to your anger, to your vengeance but if that statue survived, then perhaps some of _Nova_ did too?" She was not quite grasping at straws, but close.

"Well reasoned." Another new voice. A _familiar_ voice!

Galintra stilled as _Hayden Tenno_ walked out of across corridor. Everyone stiffened as the First Tenno looked at them all. Or was it? His ancient, not-quite-a-warframe armor had odd glowing things at shoulders, ankles and chest. What color was that glow? Black or a deep, deep blue? Hard to say.

"That ain't Hayden!" Nikis had his pistols in hand as Ess recoiled. Everyone who had them drew weapons as Galintra stared at the newcomer, her eyes narrowing. For his part, Stephen just stood by the Oracle who looked shell shocked. She was the most vulnerable.

"No?" The other sounded amused. "You don't know me, old friend?"

"You ain't Hayden!" Nikis snarled and then he gasped as the other drew a skana that glowed dark. Black. Things should not glow _black!_ "You ain't Tenno! You ain't Forgotten either! What the hell are you?"

"The future." The other had smile in his voice as he started forward. "You will surrender your prisoner."

"Is that a joke?" Nikis demanded tightly as Atlas growled. All of the Royal Guard formed up on their commander. Ess shook her head and retreated to stand by Stephen who stared at the madness that was unfolding. Who the hell would _attack_ two of the First as well as so many Royal Guard? Who _could?_

"Yeah. And the joke is on _you!_ "

At least a dozen warframes swarmed out of the cross corridor. All known types. Excalibur, Mag, Volt, Trinity, more... All with the same glowing armor at shoulders, ankles and chest. All with weapons ready. More crowded the corridor. _Many_ more. Every Tenno in the corridor gasped as one as their energy started to fade. No, _as it was_ _drained!_

Without further word, the newcomers all charged.


	7. Chapter 7

**I knew something was wrong, but had no idea what it was. I left out chapter 5! I am an idiot! Fixed now.**

* * *

 **Surprise!**

This could not be happening!

Stephen could do little but watch in shock as Nikis and Atlas, two of the mightiest of the First apprentices of the First Tenno, recoiled. As the Void energy that gave warrior Tenno their incredible powers faded. The Excalibur and Cathi Gata stood by the Oracle whose posture was just as shocked as Stephen felt. Galintra was a golden restrained statue nearby, but her face was intent as she stared at the newcomers.

"Nice trick." Nikis snarled and his pistols started to bark. He fired off a series of shots so fast that is seemed that his revolvers were machine pistols. Each was aimed at a different target's head. They were all blocked by the onrushing horde! He snorted again, but this time less angry, more worried. "Not bad." He allowed as he reloaded. Atlas hefted a mace and shield silently, ready.

"Oh, you haven't seen _anything_ yet!" The fake Hayden had a smile in his voice as he and his companions slammed into the golden wall that had formed around the group. The Royal Guard were the absolute best of Tenno. Even taken by surprise and their mystical powers diluted somehow, they were not to be taken lightly, but there had to be at least thirty of the odd others in the corridor now.

"Clem?" Stephen jerked as the clone spoke. To _Galintra?_ And wonder of wonders, she seemed to understand him!

"I can't." Galintra said weakly. "They… I am bound by my oaths. Or… Wait! Whatever it is, it is not draining _me!_ " She shook her head. "Atlas! Use my power! Use me _as_ power!" She called. "Trinity! Energy Vampire! On me! Now!" She begged as the Royal Guard bled in front of her. Atlas snapped a command and the sole Royal Guard Trinity spun to throw energy at Galintra. The bound Tenno gasped as blue waves poured off of her and then she wilted. The clone grabbed her and held her up.

The tide turned. The Tenno threw all of their abilities into the battle even as their power levels dropped again. Stephen threw a Radial Blind and it affected a few of the enemy, but he had nothing else. He was too far from the battle to strike with his sword. His Exalted Blade used too much power and would not last for more than a few seconds.

But then…

" _NO!_ " The Hayden fake screamed. "You will not harm her!" He broke through the line and charged Atlas directly. Nikis fired again, and almost all of his shots were deflected again. Two of the enemy fell, never to rise, but the rest continued forward. The Nekros growled something vile, holstered his pistols and drew a wicked looking scythe in one hand and a dark glowing sword in the other. All of the enemy who saw that sword backed up a step as he set himself to aid his brother.

Atlas did not speak. He met the enemy's charge with one of his own. Mace met skana in a titanic blast that shook the very walls, but did nothing to faze either combatant. They traded blows that would have broken a Grineer Heavy Gunner in half effortlessly. All of the others attacked with almost mindless rage, but not quite. They were durable, smart and skilled as any regular Tenno. They were using Tenno powers that did not seem affected by whatever was draining the Guard. For every enemy that the Royal Guard killed, another appeared and the Guard could not keep it up no matter their skill or rage. Golden warframe after golden warframe fell under the waves of now frenzied assaults as the enemy pressed their attack. They smelled victory.

"Clem!" The clone said urgently to Galintra.

"I can't." Galintra repeated. "No one here is… I can't." She pleaded. "I am sorry."

"Clem." The clone reached up to pat her shoulder. Then his posture hardened. He looked from Cathi Gata to Ess and then at Stephen as the Royal Guard lines started to crumple under the onslaught. The Guard didn't die. They just fell and lay still. Drained? The clone shook his head but when he spoke to her again, it was fierce. "Grakata!" Galintra stared at him and then nodded.

"What? Oh. I see. A good plan. Tenno..." Galintra said weakly as the blue pulses that powered the Tenno around them slowly faded and then stopped as the Trinity who had thrown it fell to lie still. "Protect the Oracle. She will be a target as soon as they realize who she is. Necromancers are necromancers no matter the reality." She sighed, a very tired and resigned sound. "Same scum, different day."

"What?" Stephen and Cathi Gata stammered the same thing as Galintra… _stepped out of the golden bonds and they clattered to the floor_. Neither of them dared move as she started to glow softly green!

"Stop!" Galintra snapped in a voice that would be obeyed and everything did. Every one of the Royal Guard now lay still. The only Tenno still standing were Nikis and Atlas. Atlas was faltering as his own power faded and at least a dozen of the enemy still stood. "You want me, you scum? Come and _get me!_ "

Everyone stared as the female Tenno took to her heels. She darted off at nearly Tenno speed and the _entire horde_ chased after her, ignoring the other Tenno, fallen or no. Even the fake Hayden ran off from the middle of his battle with Atlas.

"The hell?" Atlas grunted in pain as fluid fell from gaping rents in his warframe. "How the hell is she free?"

Everyone looked at the clone who shrugged. His pose was pure artful innocence. "Clem."

"What _are_ these things?" The Oracle asked. Stephen moved to block Ess as she stepped towards a fallen warframe. She snarled at him, shock, fear and worry abounding in her tone. "Come off it, Tenno! I am not defenseless!"

"Dunno." Nikis said with a snap as he bent to touch a fallen Royal Guard. The Trinity did not move. "Damn… She is asleep. They knocked her out. Disabled, not dead. Not out of mercy, I bet."

"What is a necromancer?" Stephen asked as the clone started off, his weapons coming to his hands. "Hey!"

"Grakata." The clone replied, not slowing.

Stephen looked at the others who looked at him. In unison, all of them shrugged. Atlas looked at Nikis who growled but nodded.

"Whatever the hell this is, it is new." Nikis shook his head. "We cannot leave our fallen defenseless. I bear the duty." Atlas nodded soberly to him.

"We will find her and recapture her." Cathi Gata promised. Stephen moved to her side as Ess did as well. "Oracle..." She warned.

"I am not defenseless." Ess' tone brooked no debate. She drew an oddly blocky looking pistol from somewhere. "I want to know what is going on."

Stephen and Cathi Gata looked at Nikis who shrugged and bent to touch the fallen Trinity again. His energy flared around him as Atlas took up station beside Ess. He was still leaking, but neither of them dared comment. The sound of rapid firing came from the distance and a shout of 'Grakata!" was also heard.

"I do not think it will be hard to track him." Atlas said dryly as the quartet of Tenno started off.

"No." Cathi Gata agreed as they found one of the odd forms riddled with bullet holes lying against one wall. The Mag had been shot in the back at least five times. "Are these warframes?" She asked as she scrutinized it. It was dissolving! She bent to one knee as a groan came from it. "What are you?" She demanded tightly, her Glaive ready in hand.

"We are the future." The weak female voice from the other was calm. "We will save the system. We will bring honor back to the Tenno."

"You act dishonorably and claim honor?" Cathi Gata demanded. "How can you _possibly_ -?" But the Mag fell to lie still and the Valkyr recoiled as it hissed and dissolved completely!

"Always the same." Atlas said very quietly as she rose to rejoining hem. "They are right and everyone else is either stupid or just wrong. That sounds so familiar." He shook his head as the group started off again. "Even the quotes are the same. 'The future'. 'Honor'. All that sounds so similar to what was spouted before. The two Tenno who nearly destroyed us both believed they were our future, not Hayden."

"But they killed each other." Cathi Gata protested. "They were stopped. The rest of them..." She slumped. "Those who could be saved were. The others?"

"The ones too far gone into the madness were given what mercy we could." Atlas said heavily. "It was a terrible time." He looked at Cathi Gata. "Whatever happened to you was clearly no fun either."

"It is the past, sir." Cathi Gata said firmly. "I survived. I go one. I am Tenno. I serve."

"You were cast out." Atlas said quietly. Cathi Gata nodded. "Rightly?"

"Yes." Cathi Gata snapped. "No matter what anyone says, I am guilty."

"Guilty of being _enslaved!_ " Ess snapped and Cathi Gata rounded on her. The Oracle did not retreat. "You know I speak truly, Tenno. Do not deny it!" Atlas looked from one to the other and then spoke to Ess.

"And she is sworn not to speak of it." Ess nodded at the Guard founder's words. "I see."

"She threw her _life_ away for a young Tenno and-" Ess stilled as Cathi Gata growled.

"Enough! Oracle, we have far larger problems than _my_ sins." Cathi Gata snapped, only to pause as Atlas laid a hand on her arm. "Sir… No."

"I need you clearheaded." Atlas said flatly. "Can you do that?" He looked at Ess. "Can you leave her be?"

"I do not like watching her wallow in guilt that is _not_ hers, but yes." Ess bowed her head. "I can."

"Whatever you say, Oracle, I did those things. I remember doing them." Cathi Gata said sadly. "And I remember _enjoying them!_ " She slumped a bit but then straightened. "Command me, Sir."

"We will speak of this again." Atlas' words were both a promise and a warning. He would brook no hesitation or digression when they did speak of this. "For now, however? The one who was my daughter is their target. Why?" He asked. "She is not in a warframe and she has no allies that we know of here. Why do they want her?"

"Could this all have been a trick?" Stephen asked. The three others looked at him and he shook his head. "Everyone says she is a liar. What little I have seen of her… She _hasn't_ lied. Has she?" He asked Oracle Ess who paused.

"Honestly? I don't know." Ess replied. "That drain thing, whatever the hell it was, drained my power, so I am clearheaded for the moment. But that means I cannot see the possibilities either." She shook her head quickly. "It won't last." She warned. "That said, I don't think she lied to me. Do you?" She asked Atlas.

"I am not the one to ask such." Atlas admitted. "I still look at her and see the tiny little infected form that Nova bore into the world. She fit in one of my hands on the day she came to us." He looked away. "And now? She is traitor, murderer and monster. All of the worst things I ever imagined and I love her." He sighed. "God help me, I _still_ love her even after everything. I will kill her, but I do love her."

No one seemed to know what to say to that. They continued on. Every so often, they found another dead Tenno like thing. Shot multiple times, all of them. Usually in the back. Each was dissolving and none spoke.

"I thought these relays were defended." Atlas said with a growl of annoyance. "Where are the guards?"

"Probably locked in their quarters praying Nikis goes elsewhere." Ess said with a dark chuckle. Atlas looked at her and she shook her head. "He makes an impression."

"He still enjoys making people wet themselves, doesn't he?" Atlas asked sourly. "Is he ever going to grow up?"

"You know Nikis." Ess chuckled again, this time a bit freer. "Is he _ever_ going to _change_?"

" _You_ are asking _me_ that, Oracle?" Atlas' laugh boomed across the empty halls.

"Okay..." Ess admitted. "That was silly."

Cathi Gata and Stephen ignored them, weapons ready as they followed the trail of broken bodies. Gunfire erupted in front of them and a scream of pain sounded. Galintra!

The quartet did not speak. They hurried their steps and entered a large room that opened out to the vastness of space. Galintra had her hand against her stomach, trying to stem he flow of blood form a wound. A terrified young human boy cowered behind her as six of the odd Tenno forms surrounded her and the human on three sides. The boy seemed unharmed. Galintra saw the others enter, but ignored them to focus on the ones menacing her.

"You will come with us!" The fake Hayden declared to Galintra. "Or that one will die."

"Pull the other one, asshole." Galintra snapped but her voice was weak. She was wilting and not from blood loss. Was she being drained? "Your kind like leaving no witnesses, puppet. Your type never changes your tactics. I am not going with you. You should have run, boy. This is going to hurt."

"Wha-" The human barely had to scream as Galintra grabbed him and threw him across the room toward where the quartet stood, shocked. Atlas caught the flying human and set the shaking boy on his feet behind himself as he set himself to charge. Five of the enemy spun to face Atlas and his companions, but the fake Hayden stepped towards Galintra who shook her head even as she fell to one knee. More of the odd almost Tenno things shimmered into being. They were _phasing in_? None raised weapons. Odd.

"Keep coming, asshole." Galintra snarled weakly as he reached for her only to recoil as she slapped something against the window behind her. Some kind of _mine_! It started to blink! "That is right. Even Orokin glass won't stop _this_. I will _never_ serve you or whoever is pulling your strings! Atlas… _Hold them!_ " She screamed as she _lay down on the mine!_

" _GALINTRA!_ " Atlas screamed her name as the mine exploded and blew out the window. The force field that snapped into being at the door did nothing to keep the air and whatever was left of Galintra from being blown out into space along with several _very_ surprised warframe like things. Stephen felt himself pulled towards the gaping hole, but a rock hard hand grabbed hold of him and held him in place, Atlas' blocky form anchored to the deck. Stephen grabbed wildly and took hold of Ess as the Oracle held tight to Cathi Gata. The Valkyr had the human, curled up around him protectively even as the dark glowing almost Tenno forms were all blown out into space. Sound returned with the roar of air as a force field snapped into being over the hole and an armored shutter came down to seal the breached window. It would self repair, most Orokin materials did. They had built things to last and their structures had outlived almost every one of them.

Before anyone could react to the sudden lack of enemies, all of them stilled as a green glow appeared next to the shutter as it closed. Galintra shimmered into being next to the now shut window. She gasped and fell to to the floor, her face ashen. "Goddess, that _sucks!_ "

Wait. Were her ears pointed? No. They were not. It had been a trick of the green light.

"Did you just make a pun?" Atlas asked mildly as he looked around. None of the enemy remained.

"Didn't intend it, but… yeah. I guess I did." Galintra chuckled a bit and then gasped. "Ow… that _hurts_ … Note to self: Do not make self laugh after being blown up."

"How dd you do that?" Atlas did not move and no one else relaxed.

" _I_ didn't." Galintra said sadly. "My curse for my folly in impersonating a deity is immortality to feel regret and I would not feel much of anything if I spent it all floating around the void of space. She won't allow me to go mad. She isn't that nice."

"'She'?" Atlas inquired carefully.

"Do not ask that." Ess warned softly. "You do _not_ want to know." Atlas looked at her and then at Galintra who nodded quickly and winced as she lay back.

"I am sorry I ran, but it drew them away from you and allowed Clem to take them one by one." Galintra said softly. "I surrender again, Tenno Cathi Gata. Atlas. Do what you will. I will not resist."

"The bindings did not hold you at all. Now that I think about it, you should not have even heard us talk about the Code. You were never bound at all, were you?" Atlas said slowly. Galintra shook her head. "You stayed by _choice?_ " He demanded. "Knowing that I would kill you and give your energy to Nikis?"

"Yes." Galintra did not move.

"Why?" Atlas sounded conflicted. Small wonder. She had just sacrificed herself for them.

"Because this needs closure." Galintra sighed deeply. "My judge decided that my crimes against you and yours were the worst. _You_ need closure and if _you_ do it? I won't come back. Again, she wasn't that nice. You are the _only_ one who can kill me and make it stick, Atlas. Part of me is praying you do it. Part of me is crying, knowing that if you do, it will hurt you very badly even after all of what I did. The rest of me is just tired and very, very sore at the moment."

"Is this a bad time?" A new voice as a female clone in odd checkered attire stepped into view. She carried a Buzlok rifle as if she knew how to use it and others fanned out behind her. Humans and clones in the same colors, Steel Meridian. The misshapen clone form before held two smoking sub-machine guns as he nodded to the group. "Clem was insistent that we come..." She shook her head. "I am Cressia Tal, leader of Steel Meridian." She said to the others.

"Atlas." The ancient Tenno said flatly. "I do not think there is a good time for such things. If you know that odd man of few words, then you know what he showed us?" The clone female nodded. "Where did you get it?"

"Off a Grineer killed by the same things that attacked you here." Cressia Tal replied. "We need to talk."

Atlas looked at her and then at Galintra who had closed her eyes and looked to be _praying_?

"I guess we do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Soldierly**

"We should be able to talk here."

"This is as secure as we can make anything in the Solar System." Cressia Tal said as she led the way into a large room that had clones and humans working on things all around the walls. All of the Tenno following her paused as a large turret on the ceiling swung to aim the large bore weapon there at them, but then it swung back to cover the door. "Sorry." She apologized. "We have been on hair trigger recently. Our enemies know generally where we are, if not precisely. They will localize this relay despite its phenomenal stealth eventually and when they do, they will attack again."

"And you want to be ready." Atlas was noncommittal, but everyone could see the tension in him. The group was still the same except for the young human who had been collected by an older woman who had looked like his mother. She had not been happy with him. She had literally dragged him off by his ear and her profanity had made more than one of the Tenno wince.

"As ready as we _can_ be." The clone female said with a frown. "Steel Meridian is not large and we have nowhere close to Tenno power. What we have is guts, smart people willing to improvise what is needed and the willingness to do almost anything to stay free."

"Freedom is a powerful motivator."Atlas beckoned and Cathi Gata led Galintra forward to stand by him. None of the others moved. Nikis was still with the fallen Royal Guard, now with other Tenno trying to rouse them with no success. Cathi Gata and Stephen had stayed, more to guard Galintra than for any real need to protect Atlas. Ess had flatly refused any attempt to get her to leave. "Obviously, you know who or at least what I am. You know who _she_ is..." He nodded to Galintra. "...or the other would not have left the statue with her."

"Clem is Clem." Cressia Tal said sourly. "Half the time, it is a struggle simply to understand him." She turned to the clone that had been silent this whole time. "And I bet you have heard most of his vocabulary by now."

"That does not make him stupid." Galintra said quietly and everyone looked at her. "He is limited, not ignorant." Clem did not react and she shrugged. "Some of the smartest, kindest and bravest beings I have known have been damaged in some way. Do not dismiss him simply because he lacks your extensive vocabulary."

"Oh, I won't." Cressia Tal smiled, but it held a grim edge. "I don't have the _resources_ to throw away anyone who wants to help and he _is_ a help." She shook her head. " _Most_ of the time." She corrected as Clem shrugged. "The plan was simply to talk to you people. We thought the Tenno who killed that Grineer patrol were some of yours. Until they slaughtered the team of mine that I sent to investigate." She wasn't faking the sorrow that she tried to hide.

"Damn." Atlas sighed. "So whoever they are, they do not like you any more than they like us."

"I was kind of hoping you knew who they were." Cressia Tal said with a groan. "If you don't… The Lotus isn't answering our calls these days, so we had to try alternate forms of communication. I have tried every single way I know of to contact her or anyone, but all I get is either busy signals or something that is clearly fake." All the Tenno looked at each other and she slumped. "And you won't say what happened, will you?"

"It is not our business to say. You have neither the need nor the desire to know to true facts." Galintra said and then paused. "Damn it, I apologize, Atlas. I used to taking command. _You_ are in command here, not _me._ " She bowed to him and backed up a step.

"You know more than you should about what is going on." Atlas was _still_ noncommittal. "What _can_ you tell us?"

"I can tell you that there are several faction in play right now." Galintra said slowly, feeling out each word with care. "I did receive a full briefing before I arrived here. The Grineer are mobilizing their forces. The Corpus are as well. Skirmishes, invasion and counter invasions aside, open war between the two superpowers will break out sooner or later. The Infested are doing as they always have; breeding, expanding slowly despite everything the Tenno can do to stop them."

"And?" Atlas prompted.

"And the Sentients are rising." At Galintra's quiet words Cressia Tal paled. Galintra nodded. "There is one piece of good news however. _They_ are just as divided right now as the Tenno and their allies." The clone female stared at her and Galintra shook her head. "I cannot divulge how I know, but I can tell you that the Sentient Hunhow, the greatest enemy Orokin had, is _not_ in total control of the Sentients in this system. I can also tell you that it is not happy about that."

"My heart bleeds." Cressia Tal grunted. "But I thought they didn't feel emotion?"

"Most of them don't. Most of the Sentients that any live to see are limited parts of a super consciousness and do not need to feel such things to function." Galintra replied. "They are a truly alien form." She paused and then shook her head. "I want to say of life, but they are not really. They are not anything anyone here can truly understand. They were originally created by the Orokin, but they are not what the Orokin envisioned. The Sentients evolved beyond Orokin control. The Sentient do not think or feel as humans, Tenno or most others that I have encountered here do, but they _do_ feel. It isn't happy." She smiled grimly.

"Good." Cressia Tal sighed. "We have enough problems. These things are not Tenno, are they?"

"No." Atlas replied when Galintra looked at him. "We are not sure what they are. Do you know what they are?" That was not quite a demand to Galintra.

"I am not sure." Galintra replied, her face thoughtful. "They are clearly constructs made of flesh and materials similar to what are found in warframes, but they are not Tenno. They act like things that I have seen before." She slumped a bit. "Way too many times."

"Can you explain?" Cressia Tal asked carefully. Galintra looked at Atlas who nodded, silent.

"Some." Galintra sighed and then set herself into a position of parade rest. Atlas was hardly the only one to stiffen as her posture shifted from 'prisoner' to 'soldier'."I have been a soldier, a healer and a technician, but there are many things that I know nothing about. There are many _more_ that I _want_ to know nothing about." She grimaced.

"And here I thought _I_ was the only member of that club." Cressia Tal muttered and they shared a grim smile of total understanding, soldier to soldier.

"There are a lot of things out there that defy belief." Galintra said with a nod. "Many more that defy any common sense or any sense of ethics or decency. There will always be those who seek power simply to have it." She shook her head. "Once, I was counted amongst those. No longer. I learned my lesson. Mots who follow such a path either do not get the chance to redeem themselves or think they can do whatever they want. It falls to people like I am now to prove them wrong."

"So, you have fought such before?" Cressia Tal said slowly.

"Not quite." Galintra looked grim. "I have fought constructs before and these are very similar to some of what I have seen. Kind of like a flesh golem." Everyone whose face was visible looked blank and Galintra sighed. "Ah, damn." She grimaced. "Um… Has anyone here read 'Frankenstein'?" Atlas growled and Galintra nodded. "Yeah. Mad science using the dead to make a parody of the living. Science or… other." She said slowly and then growled herself when Cressia Tal opened her mouth. "Do. Not. Ask. You do not want to know!"

That was so fervent that the clone slowly closed her mouth and shook her head. Ess nodded from where she stood, a silent grim statue.

"Okay." Cressia Tal frowned and then slumped a bit. "The bodies or whatever they were dissolved. No traces to analyze or track."

"That is fairly typical." Galintra replied, calming. "Very few people are okay with such madness. Any who practice such learn early how to hide. Most sentient beings with any brains at all leave such craziness alone, but there will always be those who seek knowledge past the point of common sense. The problem is that once one touches such knowledge it is almost an addiction for many. They have to know more and there are things out there that really do not like being played with. Most necromancers hide very well."

"Necromancers." Atlas said softly. "You said that before. The word is not familiar to me." Cressia Tal shook her head when he looked at her. 'What is a necromancer?"

"A necromancer is a person who practices necromancy." Galintra said flatly. "And before you ask, Necromancy is usually defined as the art of using the dead for any number of usually nefarious purposes. It is often called magic, but it can be tech or other."

"Um… Like the black Nekros warframe with the pistols?" Cressia Tal asked with a gulp.

"Nikis is not evil." Galintra replied and then paused as _everyone_ looked at her. She shrugged. "I don't like him, but he is not evil simply for the sake of being so. He is an asshole, not self centered just to be that way."

"Why, thank you." A dark laugh came from the door and everyone stiffened as Nikis walked in. He was shaking his head. "No change. The others have been taken to healing and hopefully, someone more suited to such can help them. _You_ are still dead."

"That I am." Galintra replied, not offended in the slightest. "What do you know of necromancers?"

"I been called one." Nikis strode to stand by Atlas and no one moved. "There is a certain level of truth to it. I do use the dead, but it is Orokin technology that allows me to do so." He looked at Galintra. "Does Xaran still practice such?"

"You _know_ I cannot answer that!" Galintra snapped at him and everyone quailed, but Nikis _relaxed_.

"Took me a bit, but I know you now. G and O." He said very quietly and Galintra stiffened. "I ain't gonna say. I don't like you any more than you like me, but she is not one to cross."

"No, she is _not_." Galintra and Nikis might have been the only ones in the room. "The bodies dissolved. Did you get anything?"

"No." Nikis replied. "Did you?"

"I was little _busy!_ " Galintra snapped.

"Excuses, excuses." Was Nikis _mocking_ her. "Raviine _never_ would have accepted such sloppiness-" He broke off as Galintra snarled.

"Do _not_ speak her name!" Galintra snapped. "Speaking her name often draws her attention and you do _not_ want her to show up here! You do _not!_ " Nikis stared at her and everyone gawked and then they gawked anew as Nikis nodded.

"No." Nikis allowed. "No, we don't. She would take one look and likely take steps that would make _me_ pause. Anyone who gets her way would regret it. And if her _hubby_ shows up? I am running before he fries everything in the area."

"Smart Tenno." Galintra snapped and then forced herself to relax. " _I_ am here both to close out the account on what I did and because no one _wants_ them to go nuclear on this. Yes, they likely would. They have no restraint about such things. You know what those filthy scum did to him, to her!"

"Yeah, I do." Nikis sighed. He looked at Cressia Tal who mouth was hanging open. "You do not want to know." He warned. Ess nodded savagely, still silent.

"Probably not." The one time Grineer said slowly. "So, what can we do?" She looked at Galintra. "If those things came after you once, they likely will again."

"Those were puppets of some kind." Galintra said with a frown. "But they knew us. All of us. Me and you, especially." She said to Nikis.

"They didn't like it when you were hurt." Atlas said softly and Galintra looked at him. "When you acted as a battery." Cressia Tal jerked but then subsided when Atlas looked at her. "We need more information."

"Yeah, we do." Galintra sighed deeply. "And that is my job." Nikis stiffened and Galintra glared at him. "It is my job."

"What is?" Cressia Tal inquired carefully.

"Reconnaissance." The unarmored female Tenno replied. "My job is to go in, get information and get said information to others who can determine a course of action. Hence why I am here and not anyone else. You _know_ what they will do if _Kat_ is threatened in any way again." She warned Nikis who nodded soberly.

"Agreed." Nikis looked at Atlas whose posture said he was about to argue. "She always was sneaky, Atlas. Now? You have no idea."

"Nikis!" Galintra snarled. "Stop! You know what will happen if too much gets spread around! _No one_ wants _them_ involved! Not even the morons and evil scum want _them_ to take notice!"

"Yeah, I don't want a nocter any more than you do." Nikis replied with a sigh. "But we may not have any say in that now. Too many things have changed. Too many things have _been_ changed."

"Stop." Cressia Tal said as Galintra started to argue. "I am obviously not cleared for this. We focus on the now. On the problem now." Galintra glared at Nikis one more time and then nodded to the freedom fighter. "We do need more information."

"Then I will go get some." Galintra said with a nod.

"Not alone!" Atlas snapped.

"Atlas. Whatever the hell that was could have wiped you from existence." Nikis said softly. "You gotta go back now."

"No!" Atlas snapped. "If there is any chance that any of Nova survived that… I have to _know!_ "

"Who is Nova?" Cressia Tal asked softly.

"My mother." Galintra said very quietly. "His mate." At that, Cressia Tal jerked back a step. "And before you ask, she is dead. Or, I thought she was dead. That I had killed her. If I didn't… If there is _any_ chance that she survived in any way… I have to know."

" _We_ have to know." Atlas growled as Nikis raised his hand. "I am not going!"

"Atlas, you gotta go back." Nikis was sad now. "I know how much this hurts, but you gotta. I will pull you out when you have recovered a bit. As soon as we know anything, I will tell you. You know I will. I loved her too."

"Atlas, please." Galintra turned to Atlas whose very posture quivered in barely controlled rage. "You cannot trust. I know this. But I have to know too. If there is any chance, then I have to know. I am here to atone for what I did. Maybe finding out will settle a small measure of what I messed up?" Her voice was very small. "Please? For Nova's sake. Not mine. If anything more happens to you, she would never forgive either of us."

Atlas stared at her for a long moment and then spun to where Cathi Gata stood, impassive. "You! She is your prisoner! Do not let her out of your sight."

"No, sir." Cathi Gata promised. She folded her arms and Stephen moved to flank her. Atlas eyed the Excalibur, but did not speak again. He turned to Nikis and nodded.

No one moved as the Atlas warfame vanished in a haze of orange energy and Nikis slowly relaxed.

"Keeping her in sight is gonna be real hard." Nikis said with a chuckle. Galintra glared at him and he shrugged. "It is."

"Nikis? Shut up." Galintra spun back to Cressia Tal who was staring at her in shock. "I am a prisoner, but I am a soldier and a scout. That is my primary mission set. A small team has a better chance of getting in and out quickly and quietly than a large task force."

"That is true, but these things don't play around." Cressia Tal said softly.

"Neither do I." Galintra replied as she stepped forward. "Show me where your team went and I will take it from there." Cathi Gata cleared her throat loudly and Galintra sighed. "Okay. _We_ will take it from there."

"I can set a force on standby." Cressia Tal offered. "As backup if needed."

"I-" Galintra paused and then looked at Nikis and Ess. Both of them them shrugged, clearly letting her run things. "Typical." Her groan was so long suffering that more than one of the listeners chuckled. "Backup would not be a bad thing if this goes as pear shaped as I think it will."

"'Pear shaped'?" Cressia Tal inquired as she keyed controls and a hologram of Earth appeared on one screen.

"Yeah. The very first hand grenades were shaped like a kind of fruit. A pear. 'Once the pin is pulled, Mr Grenade is no longer your friend!'" Galintra replied absently. The clone made a noise of understanding as the holo zoomed in to show a section of the ruined planet. A small island off the northwest coast of the largest land mass and a part of it in the very north was glowing. "Huh. Scotland?" She shook her head. "That is odd."

"And the rest of this isn't?" Nikis demanded.

"You were affected." Galintra said slowly as she turned to face the silent Oracle. "So was she." Ess stiffened in instant rebellion. 'If this is what I fear, then you are in grave danger. If the one who made these things _did_ alter Aerie somehow, then they will want you too. It is what they _do_."

"She is my daughter!" Madness rang in Ess' tone and Nikis laid a hand on her arm.

"And what good do you do her dead?" Galintra replied. "We will likely need more backup if this _is_ as bad as I fear. You and he can call more backup. _And_ you can keep _her_ from stepping in and making a hell of a mess. She has limited target control in such situations. You know that."

"I do." Ess swallowed hard. "But... She is my daughter!" She begged.

"Nikis? What is the safest place in the system currently?" Galintra asked.

"Kat's hospice." The Nekros replied instantly. "No one will dare that place."

"With good reason." Galintra sighed. "She will come, Ess. She _cannot_ pass by such. You know this." Ess nodded, a bit reluctantly. "You need to keep her attention. You need to keep her focused on you and… Maybe _she_ can help Aerie?" She offered. "I can get Oris to take your daughter to the hospice. That is all I can offer. She needs to stay in stasis or it will get bad. Especially around boys."

"The kids like your singing." Nikis' tone was oddly gentle. "You don't hurt them."

"I like them." Ess said weakly. "Such uncomplicated lives, even when bad." Cressia Tal stared at her and then, the leader of Steel Meridian stepped to where the Oracle stood.

"The Tenno have done so much for us." The clone said very quietly. "What can we do to help?"

"Be ready for all hell to break loose." Galintra said very softly as she stared at the map. "Because sure as shit, if Raviine's husband shows up? It _will_."

"That bad?" The clone asked. She stilled as Galintra, Ess and Nikis all winced.

"Worse." Galintra said very softly. "A necromancer killed her. Twice."

"Oh."


	9. Chapter 9

**Preparations**

"You are not going to be armed."

Cathi Gata might have been carved from stone, but Galintra wasn't budging either. Stephen found himself in the odd position of being a mediator. The trio had left the relay and headed to Earth. Cathi Gata was abiding by Atlas' orders. She hadn't let Galintra out of her sight. The much older female Tenno seemed _amused_ by the younger one's intransigence.

"You keep telling us not to trust you." Stephen said with a growl of annoyance. "And you want a _weapon?_ " He shook his head. "Do you take us for _complete_ idiots?"

"No." Galintra shrugged as she looked from console to console in Stephen's Liset. She studiously avoided looking at the angry Valkyr or the Glaive Prime that the other held now. "I did not actually ask for a weapon, Tenno Stephen." Stephen stared at her and then at Cathi Gata who snarled something vile, her Glaive ready. Galintra slowly shook her head. "Tenno, I am your prisoner and I will abide by the oath I made. You cannot ask me to walk into a necromancer's lair unarmed. You cannot. If you do? I will die and..." She slumped a bit. "And then things will get very bad."

"You said..." Cathi Gata growled. "'I need a weapon'. That is what you said."

"Yes, that _is_ what I said." Galintra agreed, her tone calm. Stephen stared at her, confused. "Please don't throw that thing in here. I bet the machinery won't like it."

"If that was not asking for a weapon, what _were_ you asking?" Stephen demanded, his hand on the hilt of his Gram.

"I was asking, badly, if I could draw my weapon to show it to you without being killed." Galintra said with a sigh. "And yes,… I am armed." She said flatly as both warframe Tenno tensed. "I have been all along."

"With what?" Cathi Gata demanded. "You will surrender it!"

"I can't." Galintra shook her head. "Do you really think that anyone with any brains who used me as a soldier would have sent me here unarmed? Unprepared? _Really?_ "

"You will surrender your weapon!" Cathi Gata snapped, her ire fully fanned.

"Can you surrender yours?" Galintra replied, her tone odd. Not anticipatory, but something like that. Before either could speak, Galintra spoke again. "No, you can't. Either of you. Your weapons are part of you. You form them from yourselves just as Hayden did. So do I."

"How do you know that?" Stephen demanded, his sword halfway drawn.

"How many Tenno can carry a boomerang, a Glaive _and_ an odd flying mace in the same hard point on their warframe?" Galintra asked, looking at Cathi Gata before nodding to Stephen. "And your sword has taken two different forms that I have seen. I bet there are others."

"They wouldn't have sent you unprepared unless they _did_ want you to die." Stephen looked at Cathi Gata but the former Royal Guard was not budging.

"They don't." Galintra said quietly. "I am a very useful tool. That said, even as proven dependable as I have made myself, if needed, they _will_ sacrifice me." She slumped a bit and spoke directly to Cathi Gata. "If you want to throw that and kill me, feel free. It will hurt." She winced but did not move otherwise. "And then I will come back. I will abide by my oath. I am your prisoner and I will not draw my weapon unless you allow it. I will not use it unless you allow it."

"You walked right out of the restraints they put you in." Cathi Gata snapped. "Why should we trust you? Show me your weapon!" She froze as a golden bow appeared in Galintra's hands. The other lowered the bow and turned it to show that it had no arrow nocked. It didn't look like a Tenno bow. It looked as if it was made of wood! Golden ornately carved wood that looked _alive!_

"You shouldn't trust me." Galintra replied as her bow vanished back wherever she had summoned it from. "Such would be foolish. You cannot trust any oath I make to you."

"What was that?" Stephen demanded. "That was kind of like an Ivara's Artemis bow, but… not."

"Ivara?" Galintra asked, confusion on her face. "What is that?" Both Tenno eyed her and she shook her head. "I have been a bit out of touch."

"You don't know what an Ivara warframe is?" Stephen asked carefully.

"No, I don't." Galintra replied with another shrug. "As I say, I have been out of touch. There were many kind of warframes being developed… but I..." She slumped a bit. "I didn't pay attention. I was busy."

"Being insane!" Cathi Gata snarled.

"Yes." Galintra snapped right back. "What I did was insane. _Why_ I did it was insane. _How_ I did it was insane." She all but spat that out. "Can we get past that already? I know you want me dead but only Atlas can kill me permanently. If you want to, go right ahead and strike me down." She held out her hands extended as if inviting the other to strike. "If it will make you feel better, feel free. Dying sucks, but it is something I have gotten used to."

"How many times?" Stephen asked very quietly and Galintra eyed him. "How many times have you died?"

"I stopped counting after the fifth time." Galintra said with a growl at the irate Valkyr. "It is not important. If you have to, go for it! Then I will come back and we can get on with the mission."

"How many times?" Stephen repeated.

"I stopped _counting!_ " Galintra snapped. "It doesn't _matter!_ "

"Cathi Gata..." Stephen said slowly. "Lower your Glaive. We have a mission and if she is as skilled as Nikis believes… We will need her."

"Nikis lies almost as often as he tells the truth." Galintra said with a grunt. "That does not change no matter which reality he is in. I do not like him and I know that whatever he plans for my energy after Atlas slay me permanently will be very unpleasant, but he has cause. All of you have cause for rage, for disbelief. But if there is any chance that _any_ of Nova survived, I have to know." She relaxed and her tone turned to pleading. "Please!" She begged. "Not for me! For _her!_ I am irredeemable. She wasn't."

"What other tricks do you have?" Cathi Gata was not happy, but her Glaive did vanished from her hand, so that was a win.

"I cannot tell you that." Galintra replied evenly. "They are not mine to give away. The bow is mine. It was a gift but the others are secrets for a damn good reason. I _can_ say I have armor that is not as durable as a warframe. I can say I have tools that allow me to escape almost any form of confinement. Up to and including a warframe's buffers." Both Stephen and Cathi Gata stiffened at that. Galintra shook her head. "I cannot remove them any more than I can remove my bow. They are part of me. The rest I hope you never need to learn because if you do? I am likely praying for death by that point."

"How often has _that_ happened?" Stephen asked.

"I have been tortured to death four times." The other was utterly emotionless now. "Three of those times by necromancers. I was...a mess after those times." She admitted. "My… The people I work for took good care of me, but my debt remains. I will pay it."

"Do you have anything you _can_ surrender?" Cathi Gata demanded and then froze as the Galintra nodded. A pair of ornate long daggers or short swords appeared in her hands. She reversed them and held them out to Stephen. They were works of art as well as deadly weapons. Stephen took them and whistled as he held them.

"Are these made of _wood?_ " Stephen asked, incredulous.

"Yes." Galintra replied. "No! Don't!" She begged as the Excalibur swung one of the swords at a nearby console and the blade went right through the console! The console started to spark and she sighed as both Tenno stared at the cut clean through the incredibly hard metal. She moaned softly. "Argh… They call those 'ironwood' for a _reason_ , Tenno. I do not have sheathes for them."

"This is a monomolecular edge." Stephen said slowly as he examined the blade which was unmarred by its passage through the metal. Galintra nodded. "On a _wooden blade_." She nodded again. "How the _hell-_? _Who the hell_ can make…?" He paused and then groaned. "You won't say, will you?" She shook her head.

"I can't." Galintra said softly. "Again, they are not my secrets to tell. My _life_ is Atlas'. My _secrets_ will die with me."

"I think we need to see your armor." Stephen was very careful when he set the blades on the floor.

"It is not proof from Tenno weapons. And it is not easy to put away once I have it on." Galintra said with a sigh. "Do I have to?"

" _Yes._ " Cathi Gata snapped and then she gasped as Galintra was suddenly clad from toes to neck in armor that was both fully functional and oddly beautiful. It was metal, but the metal was an odd green color and almost form fitting. Every joint was articulated and golden filigree shone in places, but not to the point of gaudy. Metal covered every single piece of her. Was that engraving in an odd language in places that glowed softly green? Cathi Gata stiffened and then she hissed and Galintra held out her hands to the side, down and palms facing the other female Tenno. "That is… Full Gothic plate armor."

"Is it?" Galintra asked, her tone odd. She sounded resigned, but also appreciative. "I never studied ancient Earth armor types. I learned more than I ever wanted to about leather armor and then chain and its variants, those were the ones I had access to when I fought. This too was a gift."

"What is it called there?" Stephen asked. "Can you say that?"

Galintra spoke a phrase in an oddly lyrical language that meant nothing to either other Tenno and she made a face. "It doesn't translate well. But the closest I can approximate is 'Breath Of Wind That Blows Through The Trees Unseen'. It is one of a kind." Galintra had a catch in her voice now. "The smith is dead. His family makes copies, but they are not as good. Your Glaive will tear right through this." She said to former Royal Guard.

"Then what good is it?" Cathi Gata demanded.

Instead of answering, Galintra stepped to the side, to where the damaged console still smoked. She simply stood there and both Tenno stared as the armor shimmered and then the console shone through the armor! Even the wisps of smoke were visible as they rose! The armor was perfectly transparent!

"Nikis was telling the truth when he said you would be hard to see." Stephen said slowly. Galintra nodded and her armor was green metal again. "I assume you have arrows to go with the bow." Not a question.

"I have various arrows I can use, yes." Galintra replied. "Several of which I pray I won't have to." Stephen just looked at her and she winced. "I have broad heads, armor piercing, high explosive armor piercing, high explosive incendiary, high explosive fragmentation, acid and a few trick arrows. Noisemakers, cutters and zipline makers mostly."

"And?" Stephen asked, cold now as she spoke of explosives.

"You do not want to know." Galintra said with a shrug. "You don't." Cathi Gata growled and Stephen shook his head. He waved at her and she sighed. "Okay, okay… I have two nerve gas arrows and one three kiloton tactical nuke."

"You. Have. A. _Nuclear. Weapon?_ " Cathi Gata's Glaive was back in hand, but Stephen moved to block her. " _Stephen!_ "

"Safeguards?" Stephen asked quietly and Galintra nodded.

"Oris has the release codes for all three of those. I don't." Galintra replied. "I have the codes for his."

" _He_ has nuclear weapons?" Cathi Gata sounded punch drunk now.

"Well, yeah. One." Galintra sounded almost annoyed. "Some of the jobs we do, they are not overkill. Not even _close_." Cathi Gata shook her head and the metal clad Tenno snarled. " _You_ try cutting your way through a ten thousand strong horde of zombies to get to the lich before he takes a city and everyone there dies! Or even better, try cutting a three thousand ton tank with melee weapons. It will _laugh_ at your swords and then blow you to cinders. At least _our_ weapons are specialized. Yes, they fry anything in the area, but there is no fallout. We do not _get_ easy jobs." She snapped. "We do not deploy such things _lightly_." Then she winced. "Well, _we_ don't. Others..." She slumped a bit. "They get used _far_ too much. Not by us."

"Damn." Stephen said when it was clear that Cathi Gata would not be responding to that. "And you have done that. Deployed such?"

"I have." Galintra looked away. "It is not something I am proud of, but sometimes, the only way to win is to go nuclear." She scoffed. "Now if only people like _Will_ would realize there are _other_ ways to win. I get sent in to find out what is going on. Sometimes, the problem is easy to fix. Other times? It isn't."

"And this time?" Stephen asked.

"Hopefully, whatever is going on can be fought with skill and steel." Galintra said with a sigh as she visibly forced herself to relax. Her armor vanished and she was clad in a green jumpsuit. "I cannot deploy _any_ special weapons on my own. I cannot even remove them from my quiver. I need the codes Oris has to deploy them and we need to agree to such. That is the safeguard for _any_ who carry special weapons in the group I belong to. Teamwork."

"That is a good safeguard." Stephen agreed. "But that does make me nervous."

"Good." Galintra snapped. "It is when people get _complacent_ about such things that stuff gets really bad, really fast. Conventional weapons can kill dozens, chemical weapons can kill hundreds, bioweapons can kill thousands. _Nukes_ can kill _everybody_ if we let them. It is not a small responsibility."

"No." Cathi Gata finally relaxed a bit. "It wouldn't be. Orokin banned them for a _reason_."

"Don't tell me they didn't keep some." Galintra said sourly. "Don't even try. No government that has ever existed would give up all that power unless they found a better weapon. _None._ Warframes with Tenno in control may be reusable, but drop a nuke and the problem is vaporized. Soldiers, civilians, innocents in the wrong place at the wrong time, men, women, children, pets… Don't _tell_ me a governmental bureaucrat wouldn't think such a good solution. I have seen far too many who _did_ think just that. 'Just one little nuke and our problems are over'. But it is _never_ just _one_." She shook her head. "They kept nukes and probably used them too but it likely never made the history books. It never does when the people in power don't want it to."

"Until the Sentients." Stephen said flatly and Galintra paused. She slowly nodded.

"Good point." The unarmored Tenno said with a frown. "I bet they could adapt even to that level of energy." She sighed. "That is neither here nor there. I can't use them. I can't even pull them out without Oris' codes. Lets hope blade and skill can win the day."

"How good are you with the bow?" Stephen asked.

"I have hit a moving target with an unguided arrow at half a kilometer." Galintra replied. "That was a lucky hit." She admitted. "The wind died just as I took my shot."

" _Un_ -guided?" Stephen inquired carefully.

"You think I am going to fire _any_ special weapon on a _regular_ arrow?" Galintra asked scornfully. "I may be immortal or something, but I am not stupid. Dying still _hurts_. With guided arrows? I have hit targets at ten kilometers. I hit what I aim at generally."

"You have those?" Cathi Gata asked, still reeling. Galintra nodded.

"I have ten arrows with various guidance packages in my quiver at the moment, Even without a special warhead, they will hurt anything I hit." Galintra promised. "If I can see it, I can hit it. If I can hit it? I may not be able to drop a Sentient, but I can hurt one. Anything less than that or a warframe is not going to get up if I hit it." No bravado. No arrogance. Simple calm recitation of fact.

"And those construct things?" Stephen inquired.

"Are far less durable than regular warframes." Galintra paused. "Or… They were. Now? I don't know. Any smart creator of such will likely have other designs ready to go. More durable designs or faster ones, depending on their preferences."

"Experience talking there." Stephen said quietly. Galintra nodded. "And you will follow our lead?"

"Unless you do something incredibly stupid, yes." Galintra replied. "I want to know what happened to Nova, but I would prefer not to get fried or whatever. I did surrender and I will abide by my oath but I am not going to be stupid about it. As I say, I am immortal. That doesn't mean I don't feel pain." She shook her head. "You did ask."

"We did." Stephen sighed deeply. "And… you know where we are going?"

"I know what it was long ago, before Orokin was founded." Galintra replied, her face pensive. "Trinity was from a country just south of there." She shook her head. "I do not know what we are dropping into. It could be a firestorm or it could be a cakewalk. We need to know."

"'Cakewalk'?" Both other Tenno chorused.

"Ah..." Galintra sighed deeply. " _Easy_." She clarified. "Geez, so much forgotten."

"We will never forget your crimes." Cathi Gata snarled and Galintra nodded, far from upset.

"Good." The other was suddenly back in her metal armor and an oddly shaped helmet appeared on her head. Were those wings that came down on either side of the visor that slid down over her eyes? A breathing mask of some kind slid up to join it, but her eyes were clear though the green visor. "Let's find out what the hell is going on."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Stephen said and stiffened as _both_ females glared at him.

"You did _not_ just say that!" Galintra snapped. "He… He didn't, did he?" She all but begged Cathi Gata who had a hand to her faceplate.

"He did." Cathi Gata replied, her tone sour.

"Okay." Galintra sighed even deeper than the last time. "We are screwed. Better ready the smuggling compartments."

"What?" Stephen demanded as he led the way towards the airlock. Both females were shaking their heads. " _What?_ " The male Tenno demanded.

"At least it is not a _moon_..." Galintra snickered as Cathi Gata groaned.

" _Don't_ go there!"

"What?" The green armor clad Tenno had a smirk in her voice. "We just _came_ from a space station!"

A louder groan was her only answer.


	10. Chapter 10

**Recon**

Stephen was wary, but he was not worried. Not really.

Fighting was what Tenno did. It was what the inhabitants of the warframes were intended for and they were very good at it. Any who had been sloppy hadn't generally survived the Old War. His warframe had been modded to his specifications, his weapons and sentinel likewise. The Shade all but purred at his side and he smiled as it flitted here and there. If he wasn't tense, it _was_. Then again, paranoia was its job. Killing things was his. It wasn't quite bright enough to talk, but he could feel its agitation and held up a hand,. It flitted to his hand and he stroked it gently. The bond he shared with the small robot was not the same as any other Tenno. That stood to reason. _He_ wasn't the same. He was not sure why he wasn't quite the same as the other Tenno and none of them cared as long as he pulled his weight (which he did and then some). There were things that simply did not feel the same. The sentinel was one of them. It felt female to him and it had never left his side since he had woken from cryo. He called it Almira and had no idea why the name filled him with both grief and relief when it was close to him.

He sent a query to it. A wordless feeling of concern. The feeling that came back was just as worried.

They were right to be concerned. There was no one here.

The entire Earth had been devastated in the Old War and the only true inhabitants now were Grineer. The clones were normally everywhere, their structures and armies pervasive. There were no Grineer anywhere to be seen and none of the three Tenno had found any sign of Grineer presence here since they had landed. That boded.

Cathi Gata and Galintra had melted into the underbrush in a display of stealth skill that was frankly unreal. The Valkyr couldn't turn invisible, but she sure managed to vanish when she wanted to. Galintra was a ghost. Stephen knew in his bones that if she had desired to flee, neither of the Tenno would have a chance of finding her, let alone catching her. She didn't.

The ancient traitor shimmered into view ahead, her armor still camouflaged to match the surrounding area, but visible to warframe sensors. She held up a hand with a clenched first, then splayed all five fingers. A finger pointed and Stephen felt the odd frisson that heralded his shade Ghosting him as motion came along the trail that the trio had been following through the heavily overgrown area. The Shade was not the most powerful or the most versatile of sentinels. He didn't care. What it did was hide the user when needed. The stealth wasn't as good as a Loki, Ivara or Ash's, but it was pretty darn good and often pretty darn useful. Like now. Stephen did not move as five warframe like things moved across the trail. Familiar things. Rhino, Trinity, Ash, Excalibur, Nyx. All of the warframes had the same odd armor attachments that the constructs from before had, all glowing the same disturbing color. They moved away and Stephen felt a hint of relief. Not much. That was confirmation that they were in the right place, but also a sign of deadly peril. These things had defeated over a dozen Royal Guard and fought _Atlas_ to a standstill. He did not kid himself on his chances of fighting a horde of them alone.

Galintra moved back to where Stephen as still cloaked and her arm shimmered anew. Faint writing appeared on it! 'A patrol' the writing said! Odd, but perfectly understandable. Any noise here and now would likely draw unfriendly attention. 'They have to be guarding something. Follow trail or follow patrol?'

Cathi Gata slid down a tree trunk to stand by Galintra. Her posture was tense, but oddly relaxed as well. Stephen understood. This skulking around got very tense. Tenno knew full well the value of stealth, and were generally very good at it. That did not make it any less stressful. Both female Tenno looked at Stephen, clearly able to see him despite the shade's stealth. It hummed in disapproval, but he laid a hand on it again and it subsided. He shrugged and pointed to the trail. Both females nodded.

Their job was to find out what was going on, to see if they could find out what had happened to Nova. A patrol generally went from point A to point B and was generally looking for trouble. The _last_ thing the three Tenno wanted to do right now was cause trouble. That would blow the mission and might get all of them killed. Maybe worse if half of what Galintra had said about necromancers was true.

Stephen waited until Cathi Gata had jumped back into the tree and vanished. He waited until Galintra nodded to him and resumed her position in front. She had the best stealth, it simply made sense to have her lead even if every single fiber of the Tenno's being was screaming at him that this was bad, wrong, a horrible idea. Trusting a traitor to lead him into what was likely a fight went very much against the grain.

That said… He was having a hard time reconciling the Tenno who was now ghosting forward with the evil that Cathi Gata and all the others had said she was. He trusted Cathi Gata and no one but a fool called _Nikis_ a liar. Certainly not to his _face_. Atlas as well had been very convincing. Then there had been _Stalker_ of all people! _All_ of them called Galintra a traitor.

And here he was having hard time not _liking_ her.

"I know you are there, Tenno." A calm female voice sounded from nowhere and _everything_ stopped. Nothing moved in the forest as Stephen stiffened. The voice was not familiar, and Stephen suddenly felt very alone. The forest was silent. Neither of the others were visible as Stephen's sentinel lost its ability to conceal him. He felt his warframe power fading. The female voice spoke again. "Please, don't do anything rash. I messed up. I know I did. I need to talk to you, Tenno. Follow the trail. You will not be harmed. You won't believe me, but the others will not harm a Tenno. I… I erred and I nearly..." She broke off and when she spoke again, it was clipped. "I would come and meet you but I _cannot_. Follow the trail, Tenno. None of the others will harm you. I swear it on Talia's name."

What the heck? How would anyone from this time know of Talia the First?

A head popped out of nowhere to tilt in Stephen's direction. Even without seeing her face under her mask, he could tell Galintra was worried. He shrugged and started off down the trail. The head vanished. He couldn't see any movement in the trees overhead, but an icon on his HUD glowed green for a moment before vanishing. Cathi Gata, showing him that he was not alone. He had to smile under his face plate despite the tense situation. She did always consider the heart first.

The trail was easy to follow. It was clear of obstacles and while there was sign of feral Kubrow in the area, none appeared. Stephen blinked as the forest _stopped_. He stared out into a clearing that was obviously artificial. The ancient looking human house that stood in the middle of the clearing was… The only word for it was 'absurd'.

It was clearly a functional house. But the walls looked like they were made of bread. The tiles on the roof looked like some kind of candy and the bushes that lined the walk up the door that stood open were not bushes. Also some kind of candy?

"I cannot leave the house, Stephen." She knew his name! Stephen felt fear blossom as a form appeared in the doorway, but… She was Tenno. He could feel her energy from where he stood, but she was wrong. She wore no warframe and her face was sad, so sad. "I am sorry."She said weakly. "I didn't introduce myself. My name is-'

" _MOTHER!_ " Stephen was hardly the only one to recoil as Galintra stepped into view, her armor gone and her face ashen. "I..."

"Galintra! No! _DO NOT MOVE!_ " The other screamed as Galintra took a step forward. "Do not approach! Stay where you are!" She shouted. "You _cannot_ approach me!"

Galintra backed up a step, her face desolate. "What have I done?" She pleaded. "Nova… I..."

"Stephen can approach me because his power had been drained." What _had_ to be the first Nova said sadly. "Anyone else… I will likely destroy. You blaze like a sun in my sight. Oh, Galintra..." The heartbreak in her voice was beyond belief. "Honey, I am sorry."

"Sorry?" Galintra said, stunned. Then she was angry, but not with Nova. "For _what?_ _You_ didn't do _anything!_ You tried to _save_ me and I refused to _be_ saved! I was such an ignorant little shit and you… I..." She was crying now. "I _killed_ you!"

"Not quite, honey." Nova said with a small, sad smile as she beckoned Stephen closer. He did not move. Her smile fell and she nodded. "I apologize for the discourtesy in draining your power without warning, but I had to."

"Why?" Galintra put at least a century's worth of pain, grief and fear into that one soft word.

"I empowered you for your duel with Oris." Nova said quietly. "Neither of us really understood what we were doing. I do not blame you. He empowered himself with the souls of his followers, You needed the boost. I gave it. I have no regrets about _that_."

"I killed you." Galintra said softly. "You screamed and vanished… _I killed you!_ "

"No, honey, you didn't." Nova reassured her. "Tenno are energy. What is the first law of Conservation of Energy?"

"'Energy can neither be created nor destroyed'." Galintra intoned. "Only changed from one form to anot-" She broke off and hissed. "Oh no. No. I didn't! _Tell me I didn't!_ "

"Galintra, step back." Nova commanded. "You _cannot_ approach me. You _must not_ approach me. Honey, please. I am alive. Hold to that."

"Mother..." Galintra was crying as she backed up a step. "I..."

"If we can find a way to fix this, then we will." Nova promised. "But whatever happens, it is _not_ your fault. I offered. You were wary, but I insisted. You are _not_ at fault."

"You were my responsibility." Galintra said weakly. "I… They _all_ were. I failed them all but you the worst."

"You have grown up." Nova slowly shook her head. "I… I don't know what I expected on seeing you like this, but this?" She smiled. "I am proud of you, girl. Galintra, it is okay. I am not as I was, but I am alive. You are alive. You cannot approach me. No Tenno can approach me and live with their power intact." Stephen hissed and Nova nodded to him. "Yes, that is why I drained you as soon as I detected you. You likely do not know me, but I know you Stephen. You were memorable. I do not want to hurt you. We do not have a lot of time. I have made a hell of a mess and I do not know what to do to fix it."

"You are alive, but… opposite." Galintra said softly.

"Yes, I shifted polarity completely." Nova said with a sigh. "My energy is exactly opposite of Tenno energy now. Any Tenno who comes close with energy not greatly lessened risks being destroyed. I… I touched one. Once." She wilted. "I destroyed her utterly, Galintra. Body and soul. Gone. She trusted me, only wanted to comfort me and I _destroyed_ her." She shrugged weakly. "Some great physicist, huh?"

"Neither of us knew what we were doing." Galintra offered. "But.. how long have you been here?"

"Not long." Nova replied as Stephen took a slow step into the clearing. Nothing happened and she smiled at his hesitation. "I don't blame you for being leery. Hell, _I_ would be running away right now. Gingerbread houses never ended well in fairy tales."

"Stephen, don't." Cathi Gata's voice came from nowhere.

"I knew when the three of you landed." Nova said quietly as Stephen wrestled with himself. "You all burn as brightly as stars in my sight. My little girl most of all." She smiled a bit sadly. "My little Gal all grown up and with the weight of responsibility dragging you down. I thought Nikis destroyed you." She said sadly. "When I detected your energy, I didn't think. I just reacted. I have no other excuse for sending the others to collect you. For attacking other Tenno to try and rescue you." She bowed her head. "I will pay for that. Did any die?"

"No." Galintra replied instantly. "Drained, unconscious but not dead."

"Good. That is good. One small piece of good news in a world of bad." Nova relaxed a bit and nodded to Stephen. "That moron had no idea what he was doing any more than _we_ did. Idiot."

"What?" Stephen inquired carefully.

"After I reincorporated here..." Nova said quietly. "I tried to figure out what had happened. A Tenno found me and she was jubilant. Her name was Saliah and she was so nice to me. I warned her that I didn't know what was happening but she didn't care! She hugged me and I…" She broke off and looked away. "All I heard was 'poof'." She said in very sad voice.

"You absorbed all of her energy." Galintra said very quietly. "Ah crap."

"Negated it, yes. Like matter and antimatter." Nova said weakly. "As soon as that happened, as soon as I realized what had happened, I shifted this spot out of time and space. I am a danger to _every single_ Tenno! I would have stayed there. I _should_ have stayed there."

"What happened?" Stephen asked as he took another step. He was close enough to touch Nova now but every instinct was screaming at him to run. He ignored them to take her in his arms. She stared at him and started to cry. "It is all right, sister. You are not alone. It is all right."

"NO IT'S NOT!" Nova screamed as he held her. "I am… am out of control! He took my control and I cannot..."

"Whoa." Stephen gave her a squeeze and she relaxed a bit, fighting for calm. "How long has it been since someone has been able to touch you?"

"I stopped counting." Nova echoed Galintra earlier words. "Thank you, but… Your energy is recovering, You cannot hold me for long. Please. Stephen, please! I don't want to hurt you! I can't drain you again without harm and you cannot hold me much longer!" She begged as he squeezed her again. "Back away. Please?" She begged as Galintra stared helplessly.

"You are not alone." Stephen gave her one final squeeze and retreated to the edge of the clearing. "You said someone took your control? Who?"

"He never gave a name." Nova sighed as power flared around her and both Stephen and Galintra shied away from the _wrong_ feeling that came from her. "I spent my time trying to find a way to either reverse this or at least dampen it, to make it possible for me to touch others. I did. That is the only reason I didn't run right back into the Void when I was pulled out."

" _Pulled out?_ " Galintra's tone had a dangerous edge now and Stephen understood completely.

"Galintra, as I am, I am a danger to _everyone!_ " Nova said with a snap. "You _know_ this. Every single Tenno in existence is in danger of my energy. My… anti-Tenno energy. I wasn't going to leave the Void. As bad as what happened between you and that silly little fruitcake Oris was, this is worse. Far worse."

"Yes, it is." Galintra heaved a deep sigh. "Especially since a young human is now showing signs of turning into a Tenno." Nova stared at her, dumbfounded and Galintra nodded. "Yeah. Just like I did to mine, if slightly less _wrong_."

"That is why they are here." Nova eyed Stephen and the trees. "You _are_ a prisoner."

"What I did was _wrong_ , Mother." Galintra said quietly. "I have learned quite a bit since then. I have seen any number of things that could have gone horribly wrong with what I did. As in 'the extinction of humanity' levels of wrong." She slumped. "You tried to get me to stop and I didn't listen."

"It wasn't just you." Nova snapped, patience fleeing. "Yes, you were over the line and yes, you didn't listen to me. Yes, I _should_ have spanked you more as a kid until you started to enjoy it." Her grin was wicked and Galintra actually pinked a bit at that. Then the elder Tenno shook her head. "You and Oris were on a collision course the moment you met. As soon as he started making Tenno, of course you would to. I disagreed with your methods, tried to help you find better ways. You bothered me." She admitted.

"Why didn't you just kick sense into me?" Galintra begged. "You could have!"

"You know the answer to that, Galintra." Nova smiled a bit sadly as Galintra bowed her head.

"Yea." Galintra sighed deeply. "Yes, I do. Love blinds us to all kind of things, doesn't it? I had it all and threw it away in the need for glory. To prove I was better than Oris." She gave herself a shake. "Okay. Who took this 'control' of yours? We will get it back for you."

Barely controlled fury sounded in her voice and Stephen nodded. This was something that any Tenno would understand completely. She was a threat, but she didn't _want_ to be one. If they could help her…

"He never gave his name and I was barely coherent after being dropped here." Nova shook her head. "I have been… using my energy to...well… trying to use it, shape it, trying to focus without the control. I can't." She waved a hand and another bush thing appeared in the clearing. Galintra stared at her and Nova smiled. "You always did like the Brothers Grim."

"He is _not_ Hansel and I am _not_ Gretel." Galintra was smiling when she said that though. "What can you tell us about this thief?"

"He was Tenno." Nova said quietly. Stephen tensed and so did Galintra. "As I say, he never gave a name. He grabbed the control and ran as soon as my power spiked. I screamed at him to come back, to bring it back. But he ran off, spouting some gibberish about replacing the Lying Lotus, whoever that is." She slumped a bit. "It was wrong of me to make facsimiles of Tenno I had known, but how else was I going to find it? I can't go myself."

"No." Cathi Gata slid down form her tree to stand by Stephen and Galintra. "But _we_ can. 'The Lying Lotus'." She said to Stephen who nodded. "That sounds familiar." She bowed to Nova who bowed back.

"This is not his style." Stephen sad with a wince. "He is a _nut_ , not a _thief_."

"You know who did this?" Galintra's voice held rage, but it was under control. For now.

"Maybe." Cathi Gata sighed. "Not that I like talking with him. As Stephen says, he is a nut and this seems out of character. He is not one to risk his own skin."

"Who?" Nova and Galintra both snapped as one. They eyed each other and shared a smile. Stephen shook his head and when he replied, it was resigned.

"Our clan's least favorite conspiracy theorist. His name is Lou."


	11. Chapter 11

**Deep**

Mars

Oris was not relaxed at all. He was surrounded by a horde of noncombatants and charged with protecting someone who had no way to defend herself. He was calm as the children swarmed around him and over him as if he wasn't there. He ignored them as always, focused on the pod that he was assigned to protect. It was hard, but he never got easy jobs and ignoring twenty sick kids was not even remotely close to hardest thing he had done.

He also ignored the Nekros who was eyeing him from the corner as Ess spoke again.

"It is nap time, children." Ess said with a smile. Her warframe was camouflaged as an ancient looking red and white striped dress. Oris doubted highly that anyone but him or Nikis would recognize the candy striper outfit.

"Do we gotta. Tenno Ess?" One of the youngest girls begged as she hugged the stuffed bear that hid her medical monitor to herself. She was maybe four years old and cute as a button. All of the kids had stuffed animals and a few had other things. One poor soul had an Orokin drone following him everywhere, but that was just precaution now. He was healed, just very weak. "My dreams are weird."

At that, Oris fought hard not to move. Not to react at all as several of the other children nodded, their faces also showing mixes of annoyance, apprehension and a bit of fear. All of the _human_ children. None of the Tenno kids were reacting! It was spreading _despite_ Aerie being in stasis! That was not good.

"Hmmm." Ess mused as she looked form Oris to Nikis and back. "Well… You will need rest eventually, but let's go see if we can talk to Brianna for a bit. Maybe I can sing for you."

"Tenno Ess will _sing!_ " The girl exclaimed. "Yay!"

"Only if Brianna allows it." Ess tried but the chorus of excited young voices drowned her out. She smiled as she led the way towards the door. Nikis followed her, with a final silent glower at Oris. For his part, Oris did not relax. The pod was safer here than in a cave underneath the blasted plains, but still… He would not relax.

"The humans are changing." A quiet, worried voice sounded and Oris turned to see Kat standing there, her face grave She wore an Orokin gown but clearly was not comfortable in it. She was playing with her appearance as few could outside of Orokin tech and today, her hair was black and her face olive skinned. Said face fell as Oris nodded. "That is not good."

"Nay, Mi'lady, it is not." Oris agreed.

"You know you don't need to call me that." Kat protested a bit weakly. They had done that discussion. "I know what was said, why it was said, but I am not your lady." Oris ignored her and she sighed. "Dratted Darkstorm! Geez, all of you are the same! I am not in danger here!"

"Yes, you are." Oris replied and she stiffened, but he continued. "We understand your wish to be useful. We understand your choice and we honor for it. But that does not change the fact that you are Zephyr's Mother. _You_ are not a combatant. _You_ never were. There is danger here and if it attacks you, we will respond."

"As odd as it is, that is… somewhat comforting." Kat sighed deeply as she moved to look into the stasis pod. "She looks so peaceful in there. Is there nothing that can be done?" She asked.

"I don't know." Oris admitted. "We are looking for an answer, in as many places as we can, but when you are dealing with so many realities, some of which are very fragile..." He trailed off helplessly and Kat nodded.

"It takes time." The one time energy form and now fully human StormKin agreed. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Watch the kids." Oris said with a nod. "If it is what Galintra did, they will start getting urges, no matter their ages. If it is what _I_ did? They will get violent." Kat paled and Oris nodded. "Our crimes are legion and we are paying for them. Eternally."

"I don't know all of the facts and I think I am glad of that." Kat said with a gulp. Oris nodded. "Redemption is a hard road."

"There can be no redemption for me." Oris said calmly. "I did what I did. In the same place with the same options? I would likely do it again." Kat paled further and Oris shook his head. "We were always going to wind up in conflict, she and I. That we drew the rest of our kin into the squabble is unforgivable. That we could have done far worse..." He shook his head. "We have to do what we can now. I deserve nothing more than I have. An eternity to remember the lives I snuffed out in my need for power."

 _You are wrong._ A calm voice heralded a blue form hovering into the room. It was not humanoid in the slightest. It also was not hostile. More sad. _No one deserves such, Oris._

"With all due respect, Tanah." Oris replied. "You believe what you believe. I believe what I believe. What I did was wrong. I thought it was needed at the time. In the same situation with the same choice laid out? I would likely do the exact same thing again." He did not look away as the Sentient mind healer swept closer.

 _Would you?_ Tanah asked quietly as he came to a stop by Kat. _I do not see that._

"We have had this discussion." Kat said with a small, sad smile. "You see the best in everyone, Tanah. What little I know of what happened is horrifying. You and Galintra nearly shattered the Tenno into three warring parties."

"Yes." Oris did not move as Tanah scanned him. "We very nearly did. Tanah, please stop that."

 _You do not need to hide who and what you are from us, Oris._ Tanah said kindly. _I know who and what you are and Kat?_ _She is used to weird by now._ That was in a wicked tone and Kat sputtered for a moment.

"Rolling with the punches more like." Kat said with a sigh. "I… I shouldn't have sent Katherine away. That was unkind of me. She was safe here. Out there? She is not."

 _She chose her path, Kat._ Tanah reassured her. _You could barely stand_ _to be_ _in the same room as her. She didn't blame you. No one does. No one knows how she wound up here, but most of us are reasonably sure Anatoly_ **was** _involved just as she thought no matter his denials._

"Still,… it wasn't kind of me and we could use her right now. So many rugrats." Kat smiled a bit fondly as she stared at the pod. "Even with more non-warrior Tenno arriving to help, it won't be easy to handle so many."

"And our security has been compromised." Oris growled. Tanah and Kat looked at him and he shook his head. "Letting so many in here was a mistake. You do not know them, we cannot trust them."

"I know." Kat said softly. "Brianna is watching them closely, but after what the cats did with Liriel,… Our systems need to be upgraded."

 _I have been talking with Brianna and others about that._ Tanah replied. _She is cautious about letting anyone into the systems. rightly so._

"I am authorized to offer limited aid if you so wish." Oris said with a nod. Both of the mismatched beings stared at him and he shrugged. "Mechanical things were always my forte. That has not changed. I am not trusted and I won't be. I am under scrutiny even now. Tenno and other. I make people nervous."

 _You got through to her._ Tanah said weakly. _I confess to astonishment._

"We all have our strengths, Tanah." Kat smiled at the Sentient mind healer and then looked at Oris. "Have you done anything yet?"

"No." Oris replied. "I set some telltales around the area, but no more than that." He shook his head. "My craft master would kick my butt for being so sloppy but I cannot secure this place as I would wish. Not with children around."

"Why didn't you and Galintra ever have children?" Kat asked suddenly. Tanah pulsed a shade of worry, but Oris just shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense to me. Tenno can reproduce, but only with great care. You could have simply _bred_ a future instead of trying to steal it."

 _Kat, don't…_ Tanah warned, but Oris just sighed.

"Neither of us were that smart." Oris said honestly. "In my own experience, fanatics rarely are. We were both fanatics. In different ways, but fanatics. We both wanted to be in charge and when Hayden refused to endorse either of us, we took our followers and went our own ways. Galintra and I were going to come to blows eventually and anyone but us could see that it was not going to end well. Neither of us cared."

"And now?" Kat inquired. Oris looked at her and Kat shook her head. "Oris..."

"What we did killed a large number of humans." Oris said flatly. "I don't know how many died in Galintra's care, but hundreds died in my 'proving grounds'. Trying to prove themselves worthy of my ascension. Trying to prove themselves to me." He shook his head. "What I did was wrong. I accept that and I accept my punishment. What we did could have had far worse repercussions. I have seen the results of such in other places." Tanah wilted in mid-air. "So have you." He nodded to the blue Sentient.

 _I have._ Tanah replied sadly. _But Oris… You have paid for your crimes._

"Have I?" Oris stiffened as one of his telltales went offline. "Damn! Security breach! Kat! Get behind the pod! Tanah! Corner! Now!" Wonder of wonders, neither of them argued as Oris reached up behind himself and drew his favorite tool. The huge round shield glowed slightly blue as always. He angled it just right and was rewarded when the door opened and a bolt of energy zoomed in to slam harmlessly into the face of the shield. He felt nothing as always. His hammer was in his other hand and he strode to the door, his posture firm. "Firing an unauthorized weapon in an Orokin tower?" He 'tsked' as alarms started to blare. "Bad idea."

He stilled as _five_ warframes shimmered into sight nearby. Two Ashes, an Ivara, a Loki and a Vauban. None had companions and all looked nervous. So, they knew some of what they faced. Good. He had been studying what was available about warframes and other Tenno tech since before arriving here and the Revenant warframe he wore was the result. The Ivara drew her bow, but he shook his head and a blue shield of energy snapped into being in between them. It shed whatever she fired as if the bolt of energy was nothing but a wisp of smoke. Not that he was surprised. Hell, it had deflected a 20cm powergun round with the same lack of effort. That had been a hell of a shock to the tank crew who had fired at him. A terminal one.

"Run or die." Oris snapped. "You have maybe a minute before Brianna Executor secures her tower and then the full weight of an angry Orokin will land on you. Tenno or no, that is not generally survivable. None shall pass." He slammed his hammer into his shield, the clang reverberating and not coincidentally disabling any more stealth systems in the area. All five of the Tenno looked at each other and then the Vauban stepped forward.

"We do not wish to fight." The Tenno said firmly. "We wish harm on none."

"And yet, you come as thieves in the night or assassins." Oris shook his head. "If _this_ is you coming in peace, then you need education." He did not move."I will be happy to give you such."

"You cannot stop the future." The other sounded sad. "The girl will ascend. We will aid her in her path, ease her along it." Oris stiffened and then everything stopped as he growled.

"Over my dead body, ya fool." Oris did not react even one of the Ashes tried to teleport past his shield. The fool hit the force field that surrounded the round shield and _bounced_. He rolled and came up, seeing a path past the barrier. There wasn't one. The other Ash was looking for a flank, but Oris had set himself in the doorway and wasn't going to budge. The Loki did not move. Neither did the Ivara. "If you did this… Ya have no idea what ya have done!"

"She will be our leader." The Vauban said quietly. "You will not stop us."

"Whether she chooses it or not." Oris snapped. "Ah, to hell wit' this." He set himself as all five prepared to charge him. Then he lashed out with power and the Ivara gave a screech as energy flared around her. Green energy. She collapsed to the floor, clutching her head as green streamers of energy connected her to Oris. Enthralled. All four of the others recoiled in horror and she rose to her feet and aimed her bow at the _Vauban!_

"Mika! No!" The Vauban snarled as he drew a Soma Prime. "Let her go!" He snapped at Oris.

"Or what?" Oris snapped. "Ya fools will kill me? None of ya have what it takes to do that."

He gasped as something went 'pamf' nearby and the Loki vanished! _Kat_ appeared outside the door, her face ashen! Something slammed into Oris from _behind! W_ hatever it was, it tore right through his warframe and left something that ticked. His return swing was slowed by the impact and hit nothing but air. He left his shield hanging in mid-air, blocking the door as he spun to seek his new assailant.

"They may not." The Loki- no!- The _white Loki Prime_ who shimmered into being nearby held a staff that glowed green. Oris stiffened as he realized it had siphoned off some of his power! "I do."

"Didn't the time you pissed off a warden teach you anything, Grandmaster Sun?" Oris inquired mildly as he hefted his hammer. This was a _very_ different matter. The ones trapped outside his shield might be fools, Sun wasn't generally. His skill and stealth were far better than theirs. He also knew far more, _about_ far more, than was healthy for a _nyone_. He was damned dangerous, even to one such as Oris. A cautious sweep of the Revenant's senses showed a small explosive charge nested deep inside the warframe's chest. Knowing him? A focused detonation. The warframe was toast, no one else would be likely be touched. "Aerie is safe where she is."

"Yes, she is." Sun sounded resigned. "And I do not doubt that you would die to protect her, but you would fail." he said sternly. "She is falling even now!" He snapped and Oris stiffened.

"What do you know?" Oris asked, not moving.

"More than I should." Sun admitted. "I didn't do it, but I know who did. Those ones outside are trying to help her, if in an incredibly ham handed way. I cannot let her come to harm, Darkstorm. You know this. You likely know why."

"I do." Oris replied, still not moving, Sun was a statue as well. The Revenant clad Tenno slowly shook his head but did not take his eyes from the ancient Tenno in front of him. "You know I cannot let you take her."

"You cannot stop me." Sun said and the device inside the warframe exploded. The Revenant fell apart around Oris and he stood there, mouth set under his horned full helm as he glared at Sun who backpedaled a step.

"I wouldn't bet on that." Oris said with a growl. His normal armor shimmered into being around him, the heavy metal plate an old, trusted friend. His second shield shimmered into place in his left hand as the others outside tried to breach him primary. They were not going to-

"No!" Sun shouted as Kat gave a scream. Oris spun to see the Ash with Kat in hand. He was drawing a dagger! "Let her _go_ , you idiot! _Now!_ "

"Open the shield or-" The Ash started, only to scream with more than one other as Oris threw his hammer. His shield didn't hinder it at all. It spun once, twice and then it arrowed straight at the Ash. Kat did not even have time to flinch as the hammer hit the warframe and took the bioarmored head _clean off_. The energy form inside wasn't going to be destroyed by that, but he was not get up from that either. That left Oris wide open to Sun's attack. He interposed his shield, but he knew even as Sun moved that it was futile. Oris barely felt the blows that struck him from behind. He ignored them as Kat stared at him, eyes huge. The hammer slowed, stopped in mid-air and started back towards Oris even as the Ash who had threatened Kat fell to lie in a heap.

"Rule… two..." Oris said as he felt his life start to fall out of the rents in his armor. He looked at Sun and then at the Vauban who was running up to Kat, a medkit in hand. "You idiots… just made… a serious..."

"I warned them not to do that. We will make sure she is unharmed." Oddly gentle hands eased Oris to the floor. "I am sorry. I have to save Aerie."

"And I... have... to stop..." Oris gasped once and then he knew no more.

* * *

The room

 _So now, you kill me._ Tanah said from his corner, not moving as the other Tenno entered, skirting the short but broad form that lay on the floor. Caution was warranted. The hammer that had been thrown was _hovering_ over Oris' body. Kat was clearly in shock and the Vauban was gentle as he led her into the room. The Ivara was shivering, but she too was gentle as she helped lead Kat.

"No. You are not an enemy." Sun took Kat from the others and his hands were very careful as he searched her for injuries. "I didn't want to kill anyone. I wanted to get in before any knew. I should have known he would be paranoid and not trust the Orokin systems. I know I will pay for this. He will hurt me at the very least. Kat..." He begged as Kat fell to her knees beside the still form, reaching out for the gray beard that fell from the helmet with just a hint of trepidation

"Go away!" Kat snapped as she gathered Oris' still form up. It was clearly heavier than she had expected, but she did it anyway.

"He is not gone, Kat." Sun offered as the others moved to flank the pod. "I didn't kill him permanently."

"And that makes it all better?" Kat snarled. "What are you _doing?_ " She demanded angrily. "You _know_ I am going to report this! You _know_ I will! Or will you play games with my mind now? You know they will check me very carefully!"

"Yes, I know you will and they will. You are okay and I am not going to do anything to you. The teleport didn't hurt you and John learned his lesson about theatening StormKin around Darkstorms." Sun actually patted her shoulder. "I know better than to try and stop you. I am glad you are all right. I do _not_ want a warden angry with me again." That actually sounded sincere.

"And _this_ is _not_ going to anger them?" Kat waved at Oris' still form.

"It will." Sun heaved a sigh. "But in the end? I think it will work out. You see… We are going to offer Aerie a choice. One that Oris and Galintra denied to their followers. If she chooses to perish, then we will allow it. If she chooses other, then we will go on."

"Are you _insane_?" Kat snapped. "She is not Tenno!"

"She never wanted to be, no." Sun sighed again and then sat down beside Kat as the others took up station around the pod, much to Kat's shock. Guards? "I did not expect this, but… He said there would likely be side effects. I am going to have words with him about said side effects affecting people other than Aerie. Such tools and powers are not to be used carelessly. This was careless."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kat demanded.

"The Lotus is gone, Kat." Sun sounded old and tired now. "We need a guide. We need a successor to her."

"You _are_ insane!" Kat snapped. "Whatever she was before, now? Aerie isn't Tenno! She certainly isn't the _Lotus!_ "

"No. She now has the potential to be a lot more."


	12. Chapter 12

**The woe of the machine**

Galintra felt it. She felt Oris' rage, his shock, his sorrow at his failure. She knew what had happened even before he explained across the link they shared. Every Darkstorm heard his cry of failure. Rushed to reassure him as best they could. _All_ were furious. Explanations took milliseconds and then Galintra spun to face her companions.

"Galintra?" Stephen asked as the now unarmored Tenno glared at him. She had released her weapons and armor as soon as the trio had returned to Cathi Gata's ship, an odd spindly Mantis landing craft. They had been waiting for a response about Lou's location., He hadn't been located where he had last been seen. That was not all that surprising. At last report, he had still been forted up in the sewers of Mavri's colony. Conspiracy theorists were crazy and often paranoid beyond all reason. All three had assumed that he would not have remained there even if he hadn't done something that everyone else would consider wrong.

"What the hell is going on?" Galintra asked Cathi Gata who stared at her, confused. "Why would this _Sun_ who Oracle Ess so reviles attack Oris? Take Aerie? Or… Ah damn. What the _hell_ is he doing? At least he hasn't _hurt_ Kat." She actually shuddered. "It is taking all of my my kin to keep this from escalating and things will get bad all over because of that."

"What?" The former Royal Guardswoman asked, even more confused.

"You know more about this time that I do." Galintra snapped. "Who is Sun? _What_ is he? _Why_ is he so interested in Aerie? He just _killed_ Oris to take her… or something. He hasn't left or moved her and when Oris' body repairs enough to allow him to wake up? He will _kill_ whoever he can get his hands on, Tenno or no. My partner is many things. Calm when such happens is not one of them."

"Ah..." Stephen shied away from the obviously furious elder Tenno.

"Sun is a Grandmaster." Cathi Gata said softly. "The Grandmaster of Tenno interrogators." She actually flinched as Galintra's glare landed on her full force. But then, the other relaxed a little.

"Intelligence." Galintra said very softly. "Of course. The moment I showed up or Oris did, all of _those_ who had pants likely had to change them. They have all of the history and likely are collectively trying not to freak right now. They cannot believe we are non-hostile any more than _you_ can." She put a hand to her face. "Damn. They will have to interfere. Of course they will. I… I have to do it." Was she talking to them or someone else?

"Do what?" Stephen demanded.

"I am not tech anymore." Galintra said weakly. "That is not my primary skillset. I… I swore. We both did. I..." She slumped.

"Make sense!" Cathi Gata all but spit that out.

"She can't." A new voice had both Tenno whirling, but the blonde haired human girl who stood at the ramp that led down into the orbiter was unarmed and unarmored. She smiled at them as they both stared at her in shock. She hadn't been there a moment before! "This _doesn't_ make any sense."

"No!" Galintra pleaded as the girl took a step and then another when neither Tenno reacted. "Natasha! No! You _can't_ _be_ here!"

"Why not?" The being she called Natasha asked. "Just because you want to die doesn't mean that we don't love you, rough edges and all. You think you are _the_ only one who has committed horrors that they were absolutely convinced were needed, Galintra?" She asked as she took the now crying Tenno in her arms. "As she said, my name is Natasha. Natasha Edwards Storm. You are Tenno Stephen and Tenno Cathi Gata. I am a tech of sorts. With Oris down, I am needed."

"You can't be here!" Galintra begged. " _They_ will come!"

"They are already here, Galintra." Natasha said very quietly and then held the Tenno as Galintra moaned softly and all but collapsed. "And before you say it, they won't act unless there is no other choice. You know he won't. Mom wanted to come talk to you, but she is not a tech. I am."

"No." Galintra pleaded. "I... I have to atone. We..."

"So you argued at great length and despite our misgivings, we agree." Natasha said sadly as she rubbed Galintra's hair in a soothing fashion. "Finding your mom like that had to hurt."

"I did that." Galintra said weakly. "I..."

"Do _not_ start with the blame game, girl." Natasha chided the other. "If we can fix this, we will, but there are other players in this. I will say that as soon as Sun realized what had happened, what had _nearly_ happened, he called Dad."

"He _what?_ " Galintra wasn't faking the shock even though neither Tenno had a clue what was going on.

"He pulled no punches. He explained what had happened with no attempt at deception." Natasha chuckled more than a bit evilly. "Smart of him."

"Um, yeah, but… How does your _Dad…_?" Galintra paused and then groaned. "He kept tabs on Sun, didn't he?" She asked sourly.

"You know my Dad." Natasha smirked as Galintra slumped and nodded. "He keeps secrets just to _do_ it." She hugged Galintra again. "This is a mess and no mistake, but the major problem is not Sun. He knows what it is to anger my Dad and he _is_ trying to help Aerie. I and many others disagree with what Sun is doing and how, but he is trying to help Aerie. He planned on Aerie being altered, but not this quickly and others are showing effects. He says he did not intend that. I don't know if I believe him or not." She admitted.

"Damn." Galintra sighed. "That is…" She gave herself a stern shake. "I… We need to find Lou and I need to do the other."

"The wardens cannot help more than they are." Natasha warned her. "They are stretched thin even with all of their allies. Hence why _I_ am here."

"What can you do?" Cathi Gata asked carefully. She jerked as Natasha laid a hand on the nearest console and the voice of the Ordis Cephalon that ran the ship sounded. It sounded _shocked_.

"Ah… um... yes. Um, hi, but… oh. You _can_? Oh?" It suddenly sounded far less insane. "Oh! _Thank you_." It said weakly. "That was… I never even felt that glitch. I could never even detect that damage. And… Oh. I was… Oh crap I was a mess, wasn't I? Puns? Oh dear. Thank you." It repeated.

"You were alone a very long time and broken before that. You are quite welcome." Natasha said with a smile as both Tenno stared at her. "He wishes to serve, but not be as he was. He prefers to be what he is now. I cannot make him as he was without violating his wishes and I have rules I must follow just as you do. I can help and did."

"Thank you." Ordis said quietly. "Operator, I… apologize. I have been a mess."

"How did you do that?" Cathi Gata asked, her hand not quite unfolding her Glaive.

"I make friend with machines." Natasha said with a smile that fell. "I don't always manage to _stay_ friends with them, but I hope Ordis feels better."

"I do. I am less conflicted by my past now. Fewer conflicting memories." Ordis said quietly. "You sequestered them. Not deleted them?"

"I have no right to destroy your memories." Natasha said with a shrug. "They are yours, not mine. I have enough trouble with my own."

"Natasha, I have to do it." Galintra all but begged.

"No, you don't, my friend." The other retorted. "You are needed here. You cannot leave and you know it. And if you try to go there with two Tenno in tow?" She shook her head. "That won't end well."

"We swore to her that we would aid." Galintra said with a snarl that was half plea. "That we would find and try to help the broken one before Hunhow takes control."

"Yes. And that is my task." Natasha agreed. "Or… do you not count me worthy of taking a fallen brother's place?" That was cold and hard. _Whoever_ this woman was, she was not as young as she looked. Both other Tenno looked at one another and stayed out of this.

"I didn't say that." Galintra actually winced. "Natasha… If anything happens to _you_..." She sighed. "But you are not alone, are you?" Cathi Gata and Stephen stiffened but Natasha smiled.

"Here and now, I am." Natasha gave a shallow bow to the other two Tenno. "Popping in like this was a risk, but I am not really here, so… A small one."

"You are not _here?_ " Cathi Gata said slowly.

"My mind is." Natasha shrugged. "My body is safe elsewhere. This is a hard light hologram that I am using to-" She broke off as Stephen and Cathi Gata both hissed. "What?"

"Damn." Cathi Gata spoke slowly, incredulous. "I never even thought of that."

"Me neither." Stephen admitted. "But it fits. Where _else_ could he hide from so many so thoroughly?"

"What do you mean?" Galintra asked as she eyed Natasha who was also looking at the other Tenno.

"We know where Lou probably is." Stephen said softly. Both of the others looked at him and he shook his head. "The question is...what do we _do_ about it? That Cephalon can disable either of us fairly easily." Cathi Gata nodded.

"He did before." The Valkyr clearly wasn't happy about that.

"Hmmm?" Galintra asked and then paused. "Oh. _Him_." She slowly shook her head. "I don't know a lot about that Cephalon, but I _do_ know he is not to be trusted." She looked at Natasha who shook her her own head.

"As with most, the Cephalon Anatoly plays his own game." Natasha frowned. "That said, I do not know a lot more myself. I do know that he created his library as a gift to someone who ignored his advances. Whether or not time has changed the being who became the Cephalon, I know not. What I do know? He is no one one's side but his own."

"I do not think he can take control of us, but he can disable us fairly easily." Cathi Gata had a frown in her voice now.

"I..." Galintra wilted a bit. "Natasha… If you can make contact with the broken one, I think I need to report our findings to our other ally." Natasha nodded. "But these..." She nodded to Stephen and Cathi Gata. "They won't take said allies well."

"'Other allies'?" Cathi Gata asked softly.

"'Broken one'?" Stephen asked at the same time.

"Tenno are not the only ones concerned here." Galintra sighed. "Natasha, I… I can't leave them. I surrendered."

"Then don't."

* * *

Ten fairly intense minutes later

Galintra was ready for almost anything when she materialized In the virtual world. Cathi Gata and Stephen were clearly tense as well, but both had not manifested armor or weapons. It went very much against the grain for any Tenno, but in this case? Such would be a very bad idea.

She was not ready for what she saw.

"Hello Galintra Darkstorm." The voice was the same, but the body was a _human_. An ancient dark skinned human woman with green hair that glowed slightly. She was very old, but not bent. She stood upright and her face was lined with the marks of both sadness and laughter. The Sentient Mother appearing as human as she could. Other forms appeared around her, most also dark skinned, but one young girl stood out with pale white skin and dark orange hair. That one smiled at Galintra who returned it.

"Hello, Mother." Galintra said with a nod. "These Tenno are my guards. They are sworn to keep me in their sight. I am sworn not to flee. I explained what I could and they have promised not to instigate violence, but we should not tarry for too long. Nether side will trust after all the horror." Mother nodded.

"I was not expecting your call so soon." Mother said quietly. "Is there word on Galah?" Hope sang in her tone and the others all tensed.

"Yes, and it is not good." Galintra said heavily. All of the others focused on her and Galintra sighed as the dark skinned face fell. "Oris made contact but the form has no mind that he could detect." Mother gasped and Galintra bowed her head. "We _did_ make contact of a sort. Non-hostile contact at that but I don't know what we can do. All he could find was fragments of memory, nothing coherent. Your energy recovers just as Tenno energy does, but… A mind?" She shook her head. "Without the motive force behind it, all that is left..." She trailed off and Mother sighed heavily.

"...is a shambling revenant. Mindless and limited by that but incredibly dangerous despite such." Mother finished for her. "A mockery of the kind and gentle gardener she once was. I… Thank you." She said sadly. "It is not the news I wished, but it is what I feared when we lost contact after her first call to me."

"I count this a failure." Galintra replied and suddenly all of the others were staring at her. "We hoped to help her and we cannot."

"You did what I asked." Mother replied without heat, clearly one step from crying as the orange haired being stepped close to take her in an an embrace. "I asked you to find her and ascertain her condition. That is what you have done."

"You asked and I quote 'Can you help her?' and we replied 'We will if we can'." Galintra corrected the other grimly. "I don't think we can. I am truly sorry. If her _body_ was broken or her _energy_ fading, we could fix those. But a _mind?_ " She slumped. "Even the best mind healers need something to work with and Oris could only find fragments."

A green haired form behind Mother nodded slowly, her face crestfallen.

"I see." Mother sighed deeply and then nodded. "We count you oath fulfilled, Darkstorm. The debt for her injury is not yours. It is one more horror laid at Hunhow's feet." Rage sang in her tone.

"Be wary." Galintra warned as all of the non-Tenno in the virtual world glowed softly. "Fighting one's own people is never an easy thing. No matter how much provocation has been given and yes, this is extremely provocative, violence should never be the first recourse. Especially among family."

"He is no family of mine!" Mother snapped and then stilled as Galintra took a step forward, tears starting to fall. "Darkstorm?" The Sentient asked carefully.

"Your words echo _mine_." Galintra said savagely. "Once, long ago, I said the exact same just prior to the last fight I had with Oris as a Tenno. I was blinded by my hate, blinded by my need for vengeance, to prove myself better than him. For the battle, I did something terrible and utterly unforgivable. In doing so, I thought I killed my mother." Mother's eyes widened and her face turned compassionate. "I was wrong, but just barely. What I did was evil. There are no other words to describe it. I hoped in coming back here to lay some small measure of the evil I did to rest. My fate, Oris' fate, these are meaningless. We have earned eternal pain and suffering. I just hoped..." She broke off and slumped. "Please do not follow my path. Please?" She begged. "You are _better_ than me!"

"Am I?" Mother asked softly. "What happened to your mother?"

"I took her energy into myself to counter the energy that Oris took into himself to empower him during our duel." Galintra slumped. "I didn't know what I was doing. I thought I did. She screamed and vanished, her power did come to me, but it had no mind and I thought I had destroyed her utterly. I hadn't."

"Oh?" Mother inquired. "Does she live?"

"Sort of." Galintra sighed heavily and then paused as Mother took a step and held out a hand. Both Tenno behind Galintra tensed but she waved them back. "Mother… I..."

"You fulfilled your oath." Mother said firmly. "You found the one I asked you to find despite the low probability of such. You communicated with her, despite her injury. That in and of itself is astonishing if what you say about her condition is true. He had no right. She wasn't hostile! She was a gardener for goodness sakes, not a fighter!"

"For such as Hunhow? It is a binary solution set. With him or against him." Galintra did not move. She paused and then she slowly shook her head. "Wait. Sentients are energy just as Tenno are. What would happen if a _Sentient's_ energy suddenly reversed polarity?"

"Nothing good." Mother snapped and then visibly forced herself to relax. "Why do you ask?"

"That is apparently what I did to my mom." Galintra said sadly and all of the Sentients stilled. "You can understand the problem, can you not?"

"Matter and anti-matter." Mother said softly, incredulous. "Energy and anti-energy. That..." She stilled again. "That might damage a mind very badly. But if the _energy_ is still there… At least _reasonably_ intact..." She made a noise of thought and then shook her head. "I need to talk to your mother."

"I do not think that is a good idea." Galintra said quietly. "Her energy is likely as dangerous to your kind as it is to ours. Whatever Tenno may think of you and yours… You treated with Oris and myself honorably. You asked a favor for a favor and we tried. We failed. I will not see you harmed."

"Have you failed?" Mother asked softly and Galintra stared at her. "Tell me this, Tenno. What would happen to a mind if the energy that composed it was suddenly changed with no warning?"

"I don't know." Galintra said with a frown. She looked at the other Tenno, but they both shrugged, remaining silent. "Do you?"

"No." Mother admitted. "This all extremely hypothetical, but there were instances of damage to Sentient minds from energy discharges, some of which were of a radically different wavelength. Tanah would know more. Healing such was one of his specialties."

"Tanah is a bit occupied at the moment." Galintra winced as every Sentient in the virtual world stared at her. "Um… it is complicated."

"We are in a virtual world with the time sped up." Mother's tone was very familiar. She would brook no dissembling. "You have time to explain. What has happened to my bud?"

"Nothing. To him." Galintra stiffened further as Mother took another step forward and grabbed her hand. "Mother!" She warned as the Tenno behind her bristled.

"What _happened?_ " Mother demanded.

Galintra sighed but did not pull away. The hand that held hers was _trembling!_ With fear or with rage? Galintra could not tell. She sighed again and started to explain.

Very quickly, it became clear that the trembling was _rage_.

* * *

Mars

One moment, everything was still. Tanah still hovered in his corner and Kat still knelt beside Oris' corpse. The three Tenno who remained stood around the pod as Sun stood in the doorway, speaking to a hologram of a furious Brianna Executor.

"...and no one has been harmed except this one and one of mine. Neither of those is permanent." Sun was saying. "I did not wish and I do not wish harm. Aerie is the important one here. We must ward her. She is very important."

 _YOU HAVE NO IDEA!_

The furious words heralded a dozen Sentients appearing in the room. One was huge, green and pulsing with both power _and_ rage.

 _Brianna Executor. For the intrusion, I apologize._ A firm, not audible voice sounded. Female. Furious. _I am called 'Mother.' We need to talk. But for now?_ Six Sentients flew to hover around Kat and Oris. Protective? _Touch_ ** _any_** _of these again and I will make you_ **pray** _for death, Tenno. You dare to follow in_ **their** _footsteps? You are truly mad.  
_

 _Mother!_ Tanah begged, but no one minded him. _This is not a time for violence._

Everything stopped as the stasis pod opened and Aerie sat up. She shook her head as she stared at the tableau. When the girl spoke, her words were far older than her apparent years.

"You are right, Tanah. It isn't."


	13. Chapter 13

**Succession**

No one seemed to want to move as Aerie rose from the pod and stood on her own. She shook her head as Kat stared at her from where the human knelt next to the fallen Darkstorm.

"Violence here and now would serve nothing." Aerie said into the utter stillness that greeted her appearance. "All it would do is serve our enemies." Her skin crawled. She ignored that.

"Aerie..." Sun started, but broke off as Aerie raised a hand in an imperious 'stop' gesture. Everyone stared at she shook her head at the scary white Loki Prime.

"I am not talking to you." Aerie felt calm. Far calmer than she should be. Something was holding her emotions at bay. That was a good thing. She looked at Kat whose face was ashen. "Have no fear, StormKin. I will start no violence here." She looked at Mother. "Nor should you."

 _This cannot stand._ Mother's voice was still furious, but calmer. _He is trying to turn you into one of us! Into something like Natah!_

"He did not do this." Aerie replied. "He is taking advantage of what happened, but he did not do it." At that, everyone stared at Sun whose posture was speculative. "He is a master of lies and deceit. He did not do it. Such is beyond his power."

"If not him, then who?" Brianna Executor asked from her hologram.

"I do not know for sure. The probabilities are unclear." Aerie sad as she felt her skin slowly solidify. She ignored the hisses that came from the Tenno, the shocked look on Kat's face. She ignored the Sentients slowly easing away from her to kneel by the fallen Darkstorm. She touched the still form and it jerked under her fingers as energy pulsed from them as she had been promised it would. Fingers that were suddenly covered in blue armor.

"Wha-" Oris gasped and then heaved, his hammer coming to his hand as he jerked to his feet. Aerie rose to stand beside him as he glared around at everyone. He snarled at Sun, but Aerie shook her head.

"Now is not the time, warrior." Aerie's tone held no condemnation but no mercy either. "He will pay for what he did to you, but not here. Not now." That was a command. "Right now, _you_ are the only thing standing between me and eternal damnation. Stand ready, warrior. Be ready to strike."

"Aerie..." Oris breathed and then slowly shook his head. "You are changing as I look at you. You ask me to stop you?" He was not angry. More sad if anything.

"Yes." Aerie replied. "You are one of the few who _can_ if I fall to the madness that lurks inside my cells even now. The probabilities say there is an 82.3% chance that I will go mad. This is not what you did. This is not what Galintra did. It is something different. Something worse."

"Probabilities." Brianna inhaled, her holographic face paling. "Oh no... No. Aerie… Hold tight to your humanity! We can help you!"

"No, you cannot." Aerie said quietly as she turned to Mother whose form pulsed with both fear and rage. "You should not be here. I should not be here. May I ask for Node Alpha Sanctuary?" Those words clearly meant nothing to most in the room, but Oris slowly shook his head.

 _You may._ A wealth of information sang in those two quiet words. Awe, regret, horror, sadness, rage, pain; all of these and so much more.

"I am changing into something unprecedented." Aerie said softly. "Something terrifying."

 _Something_ **wonderful.** Tanah spoke up from the corner where he still lurked. _Change does not have to be bad. Often it simply is._ _Do not fear the unknown, seek information to understand what you can. You are not alone._

"True." Aerie nodded at the blue Sentient and then shook her head. "There must be no violence here. I will not see violence start over me in a building filled with sick young. Mother? Please, move your people to one side of the room. Oris, I will not move. Please, ward Kat but be ready to strike me down if needed."

A gasp came from everyone, but Oris just nodded as he moved to stand between Kat and Aerie. The Sentients moved away, all hovering to one wall near where Tanah still hovered. None of the Tenno had moved.

"I am warding the residents." Brianna said from where she stood. "Are you not angry with what is happening to you?"

"I am furious." Aerie replied with a nod. "But I am held to a higher standard. No." She interrupted the Grandmaster as Sun started to speak. "I will not take her place and certainly not at your direction. I am not the Lotus. I cannot _be_ the Lotus. No matter who changes me or how, I cannot take the being once known as Natah's place."

 _We would welcome you._ Mother offered.

"That is appreciated." Aerie smiled at the metal alien but then she shook her head. "But I might be as much a danger to your people as to anyone else."

 _You clearly do not wish to be._ Mother contradicted her.

"I cannot trust my own mind." Aerie said sadly. "I see it all, hear it all. I see what I could be; good, bad, evil, indifferent… I could be any or all of these and they all frighten me in different ways. If I try to take control of the Tenno, they would fracture. Some would follow me, for whatever reason. Others? I was human. Not Tenno. My parents were Tenno, but I am not." She shook her head. "I am different. No others would follow me willingly. It would be a bloodbath and to what gain? There is enough horror in this fallen world of ours. I will not add to it."

"Who have you been talking to?" Sun demanded, not daring to move. Oris had his hammer poised and ready.

"I am _not_ talking to you." Aerie turned her back on the Loki Prime! She looked at Oris who did not move. "What say you?"

"What say I?" Oris asked. "You show far greater wisdom than I or Galintra did. We wanted power. You do not."

"I do not know what I want." Aerie said with a shrug. "I wanted to sing. To simply make beautiful music like my mother can. But the datastreams sing to me and I cannot ignore them." She said weakly as the noise built in her head. As data flooded into her from many, many sources, some that had no names in any human speech. She gasped and then fought it back, but she couldn't hold it away from her and it drenched her mind, showering her with snippets of data, many of which made no sense.

 _Shut it out._ Mother said urgently. _You can. Focus_ _on one_ _tone, young one. Focus your mind on a single pure note._

"I… I am trying." Aerie said weakly as she felt the floor under her knees. She had fallen to them, barely noticing in the deluge of data. The note she chose wavered in her mind, falling to pieces every time she focused on it. "I… I can't..."

"No." Another voice answered her and no one dared even blink as a blue armored woman shimmered into Aerie's view. An oddly soft metal clad hand cupped Aerie's skull and the flow of data ebbed. It didn't stop, but it slowed tremendously. A soft sound echoed into Aeries' mind. No. It _wasn't_ soft. It was loud and odd. It did not echo, but it did. The sound eclipsed everything. It was not controlling, but it was soothing, calming. Easing. "This will help. You are not ready for such. Not yet anyway."

"Do I have a choice?" Aerie begged the Lotus who shook her unmasked head.

"There are always alternatives, but most of them are far worse." The one time guardian of the Tenno said with a sigh. She looked at Mother and her face was chiding. "Mother."

 _Natah._ The green Sentient replied, equally chiding _Did_ **you** _do this? If so, we will have words._ That was scathing.

"I did not." The being once known as Lotus gathered Aerie up into her arms and held her as Aerie fought hard not to cry. "You know who did. I say this now. Aerie, you make your mother _and_ me very proud. If you so choose, you are worthy to accept my path, but it is a hard road to walk. Neutrality is almost impossible to achieve and will please none. The Tenno will hate me for what I have done and what I did not do. Humanity will revile me for being an inhuman monster. Hunhow's Sentients hate me for betraying them. The Orokin..." She turned her face to Brianna who shrugged.

"...are almost all gone and good riddance to most of them." The golden skinned woman said with a growl. She smiled as Natah did. "For what it is worth, Natah..." She nodded to the other. "I like Aerie's mother. What I see of Aerie? I admire. If I can aid her, I will."

"She will not be a pawn." Natah warned everyone, but mostly Sun. "If you attempt to use her as one, bad things will happen. Either at her will, her mother's will or _mine_." That was cold and hard. "You know he lied to you. Both of them. Neither of them had any means of _getting_ to Aerie, let alone doing this to her."

"Be that as it may." Sun hadn't moved. At all! That was almost scarier than him waving weapons might have been. "She will be a power."

"She does not wish to be one." Mother and Natah chorused. The blue armored woman smiled at the being who had borne her into the universe, but then turned to Oris who nodded to her.

"The wardens' stance on this?" The non Tenno woman asked as Aerie cuddled closer to her.

"Neutral." Oris replied, not moving any more than Sun was. "We are not in the habit of acting on maybes. If, and I do say if, _any_ Oracles were in agreement on what was happening, we might act. But you know Oracles." He grimaced and Natah shared it.

"I _do_. Getting _any_ Oracles to agree on _anything_ is about as easy as herding Tenno used to be." Natah smiled a little sadly. "Node Alpha Sanctuary." Her tone was somewhere between incredulity and awe. " _Who_ have you been talking to, young lady?"

"I don't know." Aerie admitted. "If they gave names, I was too confused to understand them. I was falling into darkness and an odd man and a woman found me. They were kind. They pulled me out of it, held me, calmed me. But then Sun acted and your Mother came and..." She trailed off and shrugged helplessly. "Please?" She didn't know what she was asking. For help? For patience? For _death?_

"Aerie, be at ease. I learned my lesson about acting precipitously in such situations." The other blue armored woman reassured her kindly. "You do not have all of the information. No one, not even one such as I, knows it all. It was rubbed in my face quite hard that I do not know it all." Was that a laugh that came from the green Sentient? "That said, there are people who do want to help you. You needed my aid, so I came. Your mind is focused for now. I cannot stay. But you will always have a place in my heart, dear Aerie."

She gave Aerie hug, set the girl on her feet and vanished. Aerie did not feel abandoned. She felt comforted. She heaved a sigh of regret and then turned to see everyone looking at her.

"What is Node Alpha Sanctuary?" Brianna asked slowly.

 _Node Alpha was the origination point._ Tanah said very quietly. _It was the place where the first beings were pushed through into what became our home. Where they all died and were reborn_ _into us_ _._ Kat's face held horror but no one else reacted. _It was a place of sadness. Of horror. Of memory. Of peace._

"'Was'?" Brianna slumped. "Never mind. I can guess. My ancestors destroyed it, didn't they?"

 _What they did not ravage, Hunhow used to enact its vengeance._ Mother's tone was sad, sick and tired. _To return here. Before the Orokin attacked, it was a place that we held sacrosanct. No violence of any kind was permitted there, which made the desecration of the Orokin invaders even worse. Aerie has asked me to refrain from violence in our oldest way. I will. If we are attacked here, we will withdraw, not fight back._

"No one will attack you." Brianna all but snarled that as her hologram faded and she stepped physically into the room! She ignored everyone else to stride up to Aerie and take then now crying girl in her arms. "Shhh, Aerie, shhh, it is okay. It is okay."

"No, its not." Aerie begged. "My mind is clearer, but it won't last. I can feel the datastreams pushing at me. Natah showed me a note that I can use to focus my mind, but I cannot hold it forever. I will go mad."

"Not if I can help it." Brianna reassured her. "Aerie, the future is not set. Even Oracles know that it is not set. We can change things. You are changing but that is not necessarily a bad thing." She reached up and pulled Aerie's face until the girl stared her in the face. "See what I am now, child. For child you are despite the fact that your years eclipse mine by an order of magnitude. I was changed into this by an evil being but I refuse to be evil. I offered a sworn enemy of all humanity a place in my domain and I have not had any regrets about Tanah's presence. Well..." She made a face. "...until _now_ anyway."

 _How am_ **I** _responsible for this?_ Tanah's tone was wheedling and Aerie bit back a laugh as was probably his intent.

"Is that or is that not your Mother who came charging in here? How are you not?" Brianna gave Aerie a squeeze and released her. "My life was so much simpler before you teleported in here and started healing without even a 'hello'."

 _Welcome to my world._ Mother said in a wicked tone. _Any time my buds are involved? As humans used to say: 'Check your sanity at the door'._

"Thank you." Aerie said softly as her skin stopped crawling. It was hard metal under her questing fingers. The datastreams clamored for her attention, but she ignored them. All but one. She shook her head. "The Formorian attacking Strata Relay has been stopped. The Grineer will try again, but they will have to build another and that will take time."

"That is what we need." Sun said quietly. "We need better coordination and-" He broke off as Aerie speared a finger at him.

"No." Aerie kept her voice calm with sheer effort. "I know who you are. I know what you are. I am going to quote my mother. 'I do not know you'." Everyone stilled anew, but then, Oris spoke up.

"Aerie, no." The metal garbed Darkstorm said slowly as he held his hammer ready. "You are angry. You have every right to be. Do not act hastily or in anger. If there is _anything_ I know, it is that such always leads to despair. Whatever he may have done or not done, it is not worth what it will do to _you_. Even my birth family knew that." He looked at the floor and then smiled just a little sadly. "'Vengeance is Mine', saith the Lord. Deuteronomy 32."

Everyone stared at him as Aerie slowly shook her head, doing a quick data search. It came so easily to her to do such now. "Old Earth. That quote is from the ancient Christian Bible?" She inquired.

"My family were Christian religious fanatics." Oris said with a shrug. "I came by my fanaticism honestly. What I did probably made them happy. Until I started thinking _myself_ a deity anyway. If any had still been alive when I did that, they would have had a collective apoplexy and probably declared Holy War on me and mine. Hurting others in the name of religion was their kind of thing. Do not give in to hate, Aerie. Vengeance helps no one. Do not burn any bridges that you may need. He is what he is. Even such as he have their uses."

"You _cannot_ be telling me to trust him." Aerie said with a scowl and then she relaxed as Oris laughed.

"Not hardly." Oris replied. "He did kill me after all. Thank you for the revive, by the way."

"You are welcome." Aerie slumped and then sighed "What do I do? I cannot hold this out forever. The change is mostly done, but…"

"Whatever happens, Aerie." Brianna took hold of the blue armored girl's hands. "You are not alone." She look at the silent rank of Sentients. "Is she?"

 _Most definitely not._ Mother reassured them. _For the intrusion, I apologize, but I feared for Tanah and for Aerie._

"Your bud was in danger. Few of us react well in such a situation." Brianna smiled. "A little warning might not be amiss next time, but I do not blame you for acting such. Go in peace."

 _I think I like you, Brianna Executor._ Mother was glowing now and all of the others but Tanah were as well. _That may or may not be a good thing._ Brianna nodded.

"Please tell me you are not actually here and vulnerable, Mother." Aerie pleaded. Was that a wink that came from the green Sentient's energy as she flashed upwards and vanished? "She shouldn't do things like that!"

 _Are **you** going to argue with her?_ Tanah inquired. _If so, I want to be far away when you do._ Aerie sputtered and everyone else ignored her as she fought for calm.

"Aerie?" Ess' scared voice ushered the Oracle into view. She utterly ignored the white Loki Prime that she strode by to stand in front of Aerie, staring at the girl, her face falling. An oddly indeterminate man and woman followed her in to stand by Sun who froze, his hand halfway up to do something. Said hand slowly fell back to his side. "Oh no… No… What have I done?"

"This wasn't you, Mother." Aerie reached out to embrace Ess who was crying softly now. "It wasn't anything you did or your former mate did. Hunhow did this to me. I should survive this. I think."

"You will live." The female beside Sun said in a voice that was far too deep to come from human throat. Definitely female, but also definitely not human. "Now as to how sane you are? We will see."

"I am talking to a _dragon!_ " Aerie snapped. "How _sane_ can I _be?_ "

The man and woman looked at one another and shared a smile. As one, they spoke. "Better than average."

At that, everyone laughed.


	14. Chapter 14

**The calm before**

"Mother, I cannot stay here." Aerie said as Ess just held her. "There are far too many threats focused on me now. I must not stay here."

"Aerie, you are safe here." Ess pleaded. The others left the room, minus Oris and Kat who had flatly refused to leave Aerie's side.

"But no one _else_ is." Aerie sighed deeply and then shook her head. "Mother, please let go of me."

"I lost you before!" Ess was not crying now. She had been and likely would again. "I failed you before! I don't want to fail you again!"

"I don't blame you for what happened." Aerie reassured the other, her hand coming up to stroke Ess' cheek. "You blame yourself and will, but I do not. You have your own problems, Mother. You need help."

"So do you!" Ess did not quite snarl that. "I will not leave you to face your fate alone."

"I am not alone, Mother." Through the armor that now clad her, Aerie barely felt Ess squeeze her hard. "Galintra and Oris want to atone for what they did. Let them."

"You trust them?" Ess demanded.

"Yes. Mostly." Aerie replied and Ess held her at arm's length to scrutinize her. "I do not have all the baggage that Tenno do. All I have to go by is their actions here and now. They have been trying to help. Kronus did not help." She said with a growl.

"No, he did not." Ess sighed. "And he is conveniently _gone_ again. It does make me wonder whose side he is really on."

"Whose side is anyone really on, Mother?" Aerie asked reasonably. Then she answered her own question. "Their own. Allies of convenience come and go, but all anyone can _truly_ trust is themselves. No one else can be trusted to act in our own interests all the time. Only we know our own minds and motivations, so only we can know what we truly want. Even our own minds can trick us." She sighed as the datastreams pressed in on her again and she focused on the note Natah had given her. "Trust is often foolish, but hope must remain or despair will win and anarchy will follow."

"I..." Ess stared at her daughter and then she heaved a sigh. "That is true. Sad, but so true. Oh, Aerie..." She hugged Aerie tight again.

"Go home, Mother." Aerie said gently. "Rest. Let your mind ease. I know you have not let yourself relax since my scream woke you."

"I..." Ess stammered. "I can't. Aerie. I failed you so badly and..." She gasped as Aerie sang a soft series of notes and then her face slowly eased. "That is… You remember?" Hope and fear warred in her tone.

"No, Mother, I am sorry, I do not remember you singing that to me as a child." Aerie said with a pang. "But someone who helped me said that was one of your favorite lullabies. You need to sleep now, Mother."

"Aerie, I cannot." Ess sighed. "I am too… Too energized. I have to let it out."

"I know." Aerie said softly and waved the others away. Oris took hold of Kat's arm and pulled her to the door. "Step outside. I am safe for the moment, Darkstorm. She is not. I will aid her. If you allow?" She asked Ess, hope in her eyes.

"How?" Ess asked as Oris nodded and led Kat out of the room. Knowing him? He was just outside barring the door.

"This room is secure." Aerie released Ess almost entirely. She held on with the most fragile of grips. "No one can see or hear what happens in here. The walls are proof against any energy discharges, as am I." Ess stared at her as Aerie smiled. "And I think I can keep my mouth shut about whatever I see in here. Dance, Oracle. Dance for your daughter."

"I am afraid." Ess said weakly. "I fought so hard not to share my curse with you."

"I know." Aerie hugged her one more and retreated as Ess stared at her. "Do you want music? I can provide any you can think of from this system's history."

"I, um… no." Ess slowly shook her head as her human seeming faded and her Octavia warframe stood in all its proud plumaged glory. "I have my own." She said a bit absently as energy flared from her arm bands. A small ball appeared on the floor and she had a smile in her voice now. "And here is 'Rover' now. Any requests?"

"Yes." Aerie bit her lip as her eyes burned. "The one I just did."

"I can do that." Ess suddenly lit up, her warframe flashing but the light was oddly muted, oddly soothing instead of jarring. "For my daughter? I will do everything I can."

"I know."

The entire universe came to life in front of Aerie, but she was not afraid. Not here. Not now.

She would never be afraid of her _mother_ again.

* * *

Twenty minutes later.

Aerie stepped out of the room as Oris stepped aide. She nodded to the black Nekros warframe who stood nearby and held out Ess' limp warframe to him.

"She should be all right. For now anyway." Aerie said sadly as Nikis took Ess from her. "She is asleep. What she did drained her very badly. She danced her heart out and it was..." She shook her head. "I have no words, Grandmaster Nikis."

"No." For once, Nikis was not angry. Instead, his voice held awe. "I have seen it. As powerful as I am? She leaves me in her dust. Words cannot do her justice. I will see her home and situated. The attendants will aid her as best they can. Maybe it will be enough? Maybe."

"Thank you." Aerie bowed to Nikis who returned it. He strode off with his burden through the small crowd and they made way for him.

"Aerie..." Sun started, only to pause as both being who stood by him growled. "Aerie, we need to talk!"

"No." Aerie shook her head. "Ess is dying. I may or may not survive this and even if I do? I will likely be driven mad by it. Your _weapon_ is useless." She snapped. "I cannot be the Lotus. I cannot guide the Tenno. They will never accept me. All I would do is divide them further. Is that what you want?" She demanded.

"No." Sun said softly. "You will not believe me, but I do want to help you."

"You really expect me to believe that?" Instead of angry, Aerie was sad. "You really expect me to accept that you were _not_ going to ship me off to one of your secret facilities, there to be 'adjusted' as you saw fit." No one else moved as Sun slowly shook his head.

"Despite the pain of the method, it would have helped. There is one who could help you through this." Sun said very quietly. "Who helped another recover what could be of identity."

"She would not accept me as she accepted Natah." Aeries replied, still calm. "Even with your seal of approval, she would not. Perhaps _because_ of your seal of approval, she would not accept me. She knows what you are, just as I do now. Ess does not know what she danced. I pray she _never_ knows what she danced. The one you speak of knows better than to do such and I bet she will have words for you as soon as she is briefed on what you have done here. On what you nearly did."

"I am sure she will." Sun sighed and shook his head. "I want to help."

"You can help by going away." Aerie managed not to spit that by sheer force of will. "No one here will trust you. Be gone, Tenno."

"You can say it." Sun said very softly. "I need to hear you say it."

"Say what?" Aerie asked. "That almost everything you have ever said to me has been a lie in some way? That you refused to take responsibility for what you did in running off, leaving me alone while you chased my mother across the system? For leaving…" She swallowed hard and then continued. "For _leaving_ me in that place! I have access to every record now and I _saw_ what she has denied in every waking moment! She never asked how you had the codes to the nanites, did she? Do _not_ think I do not know that _you_ were the one who asked your Tenno Intelligence asset to remake me as spy bot dispenser, _FATHER!_ "

The last was furious and everyone jerked as Aerie fought hard to tamp the rage back down. Oris nodded approval as she managed to corral her fury and sank back to calm.

"Your memory was already gone when I found you and killed the one responsible. You had been made a songbird. All you knew was your singing. Nothing more. I hoped for better. The one I took you too did not know you were my daughter." Sun said softly. "He knew I had an interest, but I never said what it was. If I had, he would have taken advantage. What he did to you was a horror, but he did such to many and there was a chance he could help you with that. In a way, he did. You are here and alive. More than I had hoped for."

"That almost sounded true." Aerie scoffed. "What do you _want?_ " She demanded. "I won't serve you! I likely won't survive this."

"What I want, I cannot have." Sun replied, a trace of pain coloring his neutral voice. "I want my family back and I can have never have that. All I have, all I am, is my duty to the Tenno. We need you, Aerie. The Tenno need you. Not me, my people."

"I am not Tenno. They will never accept me. Be gone." Aerie replied coldly, turning her gaze to the two beside Sun. Her face softened. "'Thank you' seems inadequate."

When the not-human male spoke, the voice was far too deep for a human. Was that a sword hilt that hung at his hip? No blade, just a hilt.

"We have our own reasons for doing what we do." The male replied with a smile that fell. "We did what we could. We both know what it is to be remade into weapons against our will. It hurts far more than physical." Aerie shared a nod with the female form. "Oris and Galintra both argued that they needed to do this without any more aid and we accepted that. It took some time and much debate, but we _did_ accept that. Until Oris was attacked and Kat threatened, that is. We have so few kin that we have little restraint when our kin are threatened."

"You don't _say!_ " Aerie laughed as more than one of the crowd chorused that with her.

"That said..." The man who wasn't one continued. "...helping you was a good thing measured against many lifetimes of bad. We were here before, but only to watch. To hope that Galintra and Oris _could_ find some small measure of peace. What they did was awful. No one is questioning that. Both have paid far more than anyone outside our ranks can imagine." Aerie nodded soberly. "That said, when our kin are _not_ threatened, we are circumscribed in what we can do." He smiled and the female beside him shared it.

When she spoke, it was humorous. "We both needed a vacation and our daughter came along for the ride."

"A _vacation?_ " Aerie asked, incredulous. " _Here?_ "

"As bad as this system can be, girl?" The female said with a grunt. "Trust me. This is a vacation."

"I may be crazy, but I am not stupid to argue with you." Aerie smiled as both of the others did. "I need to get on with this while I am still lucid. Oris, can you leave Kat here? She was threatened."

"She is perfectly safe now. Well..." Oris smirked at the odd pair of not-quite-humans. "Her _life_ is. Her sanity?"

" _What_ sanity?" Kat demanded from where she stood by Brianna. Brianna laid a hand on her arm and Kat subsided. "Blasted.. silly… inter-dimensional… gah!"

"My point exactly." Oris smiled at Aerie. "I am with you, Lady Aerie."

"Can you… stay?" Aeries asked the other two who both nodded.

"Kat is a good soul and Zephyr is very worried about her." The male replied. "If she wasn't embroiled in a multi-system interstellar war that is breaching the reality barriers at the moment, Zephyr would be here herself." He sighed. "A Warden's work is never ending, but there are a few upsides. We were free of obligations for the moment when Oris and Galintra came to us. We will stay until this is done. We cannot interfere unless anyone else is dumb to attack Kat and no..." He said firmly to Kat who looked mulish. "If you go running off to _seek_ a battle in hopes that we will aid you, we _cannot_. It has been tried." He warned. "Rule Two only protects people who are _not_ fighters or _looking_ for a fight. So don't. Zephyr would tear strips off me if you got hurt or killed that way. If needed, I will _literally_ sit on you." That was not a threat, that was a promise!

"Don't make him do that." The female all but begged. "He gets so annoyed when he has to sit still."

Kat slumped, but then nodded. She looked at Brianna who smiled.

"The kids like you." Brianna waved towards the door. "Try to get Mary and Abigail to focus on healing?" She all but pleaded. "If they keep running around, it will take a lot longer."

"Both of them want to be healed _now_." Kat sighed deeply, but paused as the female form who was not human laid a hand on her arm. "Um, Lady?"

"Call me 'Nicole'." The other said with a shrug. "That is part of my name, not all of it and much easier than calling me 'Lady'. Every time you do, I start looking for a big yellow floating form."

" _Don't ask!_ " The male groaned as everyone but Oris looked curious. "Honey!"

"Don't you 'Honey' me." Nicole said with a growl. She smiled at Kat. "I do not think there is anything in the rules that says we cannot find our own _amusements_ as long as they do not cause harm. No?" She asked the other who frowned, but nodded. "The kids are bored with being confined. That is _never_ a good thing."

"No, it is not." Brianna looked at the pair speculatively. "What can you do?"

"I tell good stories and he makes a darn good stage magician." Nicole said with a wide smile as the male groaned louder. "You do!"

"Ah..." The male looked at Oris who shrugged.

" _I_ know better than to argue with her." The short and stout form finally lowered his hammer. " _You_ should by now."

Aerie was hardly the only one to gawk as the male form was suddenly fully human, clad in a tuxedo and wearing a black top hat that mostly covered suddenly long dark blonde hair. A short cape fell form his shoulders and an elaborate cane appeared in his hand. He bowed flamboyantly to the female form who was suddenly human as well. She wore a long, flowing blue gown that looked both ancient and modern as odd as that sounded. Her long red hair was unbound but artfully cut and draped.

"What is thy bidding, most illustrious of Orokin mistresses?" The man said in a deep accent. He broke off as the gowned woman slugged him on the arm. "Hey!"

"Can we refrain from violence in front of the kids?" Brianna asked plaintively. "They have been hurt enough."

"That we can. It was a joke and I know it was. Will knows if he takes any mistresses, I will eat them in front of him." That was not a joke, but Nicole wore a wide smile that was oddly compassionate. "I wish we could help the poor dears, but you are already doing as well as we could without drastic measures that would likely cause more harm than good in the long run. Some things simply cannot be fixed with a simple drug or a touch of power."

"No." Brianna slumped a bit and Kat hugged her. "Aerie? If you do survive this, you are always welcome here." She glared at Sun who stood impassive. "She told you to leave. You should."

Whatever Sun was going to say was cut off as both the caped man and the gowned woman moved to flank him.

"He was just leaving." Nicole said with a growl as she took hold of one arm. The one she called 'Will' took the other and they led him from the room. Brianna smiled after them, bowed to Aerie and then led Kat from the room.

That left Aerie with Oris who nodded to her.

"My mother did not intend me to see what she danced. She showed me what might happen." Aerie said very quietly. "I want your word. If I fall, make it _fast_ and _sure_."

"I will." There was no give in Oris' tone. Compassion, yes, but no give. He would do what was needed if it was.

"The Corpus would be my first target and they would have no chance if I am..." Aerie said sadly. "...an insane Sentient/human hybrid. The Lotus mad and only seeking power for its own sake. As bad as this system is now? That would be far worse."

"It has not happened yet." Oris promised. "We need to go. Galintra is currently trying to keep the Tenno with her from interfering with a specialist who came on her own. Another 'vacationer'." He made air quotes sourly. "This place is getting crowded."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't _either_ of _those_..." She nodded after the odd pair of non-humans who had taken Sun away. "...crowd an area all by _themselves_?"

"True." Oris allowed. "The Lord and Lady of the Darkstorms can be a bit much."

"No joke." Aerie sighed deeply and then nodded. "Take me to the others. We need to see if we can fix _any_ of this. My life… In the grand scheme of things, _one_ life however cherished, is meaningless, Darkstorm. You _will_ act if needed."

"As I swore, so I will act if needed." Oris agreed and an odd green glow started to build around him. It expanded to encompass Aerie and it felt oddly soothing to jangled nerves that were still unsure about all the sudden changes. "I too have seen what can happen when technology goes all wrong." Aerie looked at him and Oris sighed. "I wasn't planning to come back, but when my deity called? When he showed me what could happen if you fall? I had no choice but to answer. Now? I am glad I did. Maybe this will settle a little of what I owe. Galintra and I did not start out that way, but now we make a good team. She may want to die, but I do not. Death cannot fix things. I must."

There really wasn't an answer to that, so Aerie did not try as the teleport grabbed hold of them both.


	15. Chapter 15

**Reveals**

Aerie was calm as she and Oris materialized somewhere else. That was a good thing. No one else was.

"...and for the last time! 'No'!" A thin, dark haired female Tenno said severely to two Tenno in warframes. A Valkyr and an Excalibur. "You _cannot_ follow her in there! You _cannot!_ Where she is going, Tenno cannot follow. If you go in there, you are not coming _out_."

Oris cleared his throat and the three Tenno who had been facing off spun to stare at him and Aerie. Aerie took a moment to look around as the others got over their shock. Approaching shocked Tenno could get painful according to all she had heard about them from the Oracles and what little she remembered from her life before. Or not painful at all, depending on how they reacted. Some who shocked Tenno died too fast to feel anything.

The trio stood in in bright sunlight on Earth. They stood front of a natural cave mouth that shone on a huge cliff wall. It was huge, the yawning opening into the Earth. It was also disturbed, as if something massive had recently passed and not been very careful about not brushing the walls of the cave. Were those footprints in the dirt at Aerie's feet? She scrutinized them and nodded slowly. They were. Huge footprints and not from anything even remotely human. It was in there. Hiding.

"Galintra Darkstorm. I apologize for my rudeness earlier." Aerie said formally when no one else spoke. "You were and are trying to help."

"You were stressed and I was less than forthcoming." Galintra waved her apology aside. "People under stress are never at their best. Aerie… I see." She slumped a bit as Oris nodded to her.

"I do not know what is going on in its entirety." Aerie warned her. "I do know you are trying to keep me from falling and I appreciate that." She smiled and Galintra shared it wanly. "I also know that you are here to try and help someone."

"Some _thing_." The Valkyr corrected her with a snarl, only to pause as Aerie rounded on her.

"Some _one_." Aerie snapped back and all of the others stared at her. "Or does a physical form that is alien to yours mean that a being lacks intelligence? If you _do_ believe that, that is quite hypocritical, Tenno." She was not accusing, simply stating fact, but the Valkyr recoiled a little anyway. "A hurt someone."

"I still find it hard to believe that another Sentient did that to it." The Excalibur had a frown in his voice.

"Believe it." Oris growled, but did not move from Aerie's side. "Your kind could destroy the physical form, perhaps take some of the energy. But that? No. Tenno or Orokin had no way to do such."

"That does not change the fact that a _human_ just walked into a cave that a huge Sentient is hiding in!" The Valkyr snarled. "You _do_ know what Sentients _do_ to humans, right?" She demanded and then hissed as Aerie stepped forward and she obviously got a good look at the girl for the first time. "What the hell?"

"Hell is a good word for it." Aerie said mildly as she stepped to Galintra who nodded to her. Oris just stood. Wary, ready. Aerie raised an eyebrow at Galintra who chuckled.

"You do that very well, Ms Spock." Galintra snickered at Aerie's confused expression. "Never mind, bad joke. But to answer your question, Natasha is not human. She is safer in there than any of us would be. Sentients fought Tenno. She is not Tenno and she is not human. Even with its mind torn to pieces, the form won't attack her on sight. It did not attack _us_ on sight and we _are_ Tenno. You two? In warframes?" She shook her head. "It would react with fear followed by violence and in close quarters, neither of you have any advantages. Yes, you are powerful. Yes, your weapons are powerful. _It_ is just as powerful and durable. If you wish suicide, do it _after_ my oath to Atlas is fulfilled."

The sound of crying silenced everyone as a dark haired human girl staggered out of the cave. Her face was streaming tears and she was bawling.

"Oh… My… _God!_ " The girl staggered to Galintra who took her in gentle arms and held her as she cried. "She… It… I..."

"I know." Galintra said sadly as the other fought for control. "Clearly she did not hurt you."

"Not intentionally. I… I confused her. Even as she is, she is not inherently violent. But..." The newcomer dashed tears away, but they kept falling. "She doesn't even remember her own _name!_ "

"It was Galah." Aerie said quietly and was suddenly the center of attention. The newcomer stared at her, shocked out of her tears.

"Oh no." The dark haired girl said weakly. "Aerie? Oh no, no, no."

"It is all right." Aerie reassured the other. "May I approach?"

"You may." The other gave herself a stern shake, but could not stop her tears. "Even as she is, she is not hostile!"

"No. She never was." Aerie stepped up to the pair, aware of Oris pacing her. She reached out to the crying girl and took her gently from Galintra. She held the girl close, not tight, but comforting. The girl's tears stopped and her face was curious as something touched Aerie's mind. Something familiar. She had never met this girl, but she _had_ met the girl's parents. "Hello Natasha."

"Aerie." Natasha's face held awe now. "It… You?" She asked, confused. "Why do you feel like her?" She nodded to the cave.

"Because energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed." Aerie replied. "Mine was changed by the addition of alien energy. Hers." She nodded to the cave a well. "Hunhow did this. Hurt her and took part of her energy to do this to me. Can I help her?" Oris growled an emphatic negative, but Aerie ignored him to focus on Natasha whose face was thoughtful.

"I honestly do not know." Natasha said slowly. "I have never dealt with your reality's Sentients before. They are different but in many ways, understandable. This? I don't know if you would help or harm. Or what it would do to _you_."

"Then we cannot take the risk." Aerie sighed as Natasha gave her a squeeze. "I am too dangerous as it is. Whatever Hunhow intended of me cannot come to pass."

"Aerie. The Oracle's daughter." The Valkyr was not relaxed in the slightest. "Why do you look like the Lotus now? Minus the mask."

"Because various people thought I would make a dandy successor to her." Aerie replied evenly and the Valkyr stiffened anew. "But no. All I would do is make a hell of a mess. Secession from known authority is sometimes a good thing but it is never clean or easy. I know my limits even now. I will not split the Tenno."

That was an oath.

"And if someone or something takes control from you?" The Excalibur inquired. "Or… you lose your mind?"

"Then the Darkstorm who is warding me will cut me down." Aerie replied without hesitation and everyone stared at Oris who did not move or lower his hammer. "And before anyone says _anything_." That was sour. "I understand such and I accept it. I am a threat."

"So am I." Natasha reached up to put her arms around Aerie. "I didn't want to be one either. I didn't want to be what I am, but in the end? It was the best choice for many people. I was too powerful, too out of control." Aerie gave her a gentle squeeze and Natasha smiled. "It is not easy, but it is worthwhile most of the time."

"If I survive this, I hope to have your patience." Aerie paused as both Galintra and Oris scoffed in unison.

" _What patience?_ " Oris and Galintra both chorused that and Natasha made rude gestures at the both of them.

"Jokes aside." Aerie hugged Natasha again and released her despite the wonderful feelings that the girl was sending to her. Feelings of comfort, of love, of joy, of worry and hope and peace, and all that. None of it was anything that any human would recognize, but Aerie did and she appreciated the ease the other was trying to share. She returned the feelings and Natasha smiled a bit sadly. "You cannot help her."

That was not a question.

"No." Natasha sighed deeply. "There is too much gone. Yes, what is in you is familiar. It is certainly part of her, but not nearly enough. So much is just gone."

"Is it?" Aerie asked, looking at Galintra who stiffened. "Is it really?" Natasha stared from one to the other, clearly confused. Neither of the other three reacted.

"I do not know what you mean." Galintra said slowly.

"No." Aerie forced herself to relax. "No one knows this but me now. I should not say. Galah is lost. Nova is not. I know what Galah would want. Save your mother, Tenno."

"What?" Galintra and Natasha both said that in unison.

Aerie looked away to where the sky was darkening and shook her head. "They will come with the darkness. For her. For me. I am no fighter."

"Right now? You do not need to be." Natasha reassured her. "Between Galintra, Oris and myself as well as these Tenno who likely have other support on standby…" She nodded to the Valkyr and Excalibur who did not react. "You do not lack for defenses."

"Defenses are not the problem."Aerie said heavily. "The problem..." She broke off and looked at the sky. Natasha stiffened as well, both of them sharing a look. Aerie grimaced. "You sense it too."

"A heavily stealthed ship is approaching." Natasha frowned. "Whose?"

"There is no way to be sure, but the probabilities say it is the one who believes he caused this." Aerie replied, her mind whirling as information pressed into it. She sought and found the musical note Natah had given her and the information receded a bit. "I would ask that you all let me handle this."

"Like hell!" Natasha snapped. Oris and Galintra both nodded. The two warframe clad Tenno might have been statues. "As you say, you are no fighter."

"This will not be a fight." Aerie said mildly. "At least, not the one he expects." She looked at the two Tenno. "Are you going to help him or me?"

"I do not know." The Valkyr said when the Excalibur shrugged. "This is all outside of my experience. I have no guidelines to follow."

"Nor do I." Aerie admitted. "I am sight reading and playing this tune by ear. I would ask that you let me handle this. If it is who I believe it is, he will want me and he cannot have me. The one in the cave is lost. I am lost. But I am not gone yet and neither is she. We have both been pawns in a much greater game than ourselves. But now? I refuse to be a pawn again."

"You are not a pawn," Oris said softly. Then he nodded and said something very odd. "I believe in you." Galintra stared at him and then she too nodded.

"As do I." The unarmored Tenno said with a smile.

"I hope to be worthy of such."Aerie gave Natasha one final squeeze and stepped way from her as a low hum sounded in the distance. It approached and then a grey Liset appeared overhead. The circular airlock spun and a warframe fell out of the tiny ship. It rolled in mid-air and landed on its feet.

The Vauban warframe was odd looking. It was a dark blue but had silver in places. It was not a prime warframe. The silver looked oddly crinkly. Like tin foil? Most of the warframe was pristine, as if it had never been sued. The braton rifle that the other held was well used and from the look of it? Well maintained. The grip he held it was was professional as well. The hilt of a sword stuck up across his shoulder and an odd, lumpy mass sat on one hip.

"It all plays out." The voice from the newcomer held a mix of satisfaction and self righteousness that set Aerie's teeth on edge, but she forced herself not to react. "Hello, Aerie."

"Lou." Aerie's tone was cool, remote. All five of the beings around her stiffened but the other did not react. Did he even notice how angry she was?

"It is time." The Tenno in the Vauban had a smile in his voice now. "You will come with me."

"Will I?" Aerie's tone was disinterested. "And why, pray tell, will I come with you?"

"The Tenno need you." Lou replied as if that made any sense at all. "You will be their guide now. "

"There is a problem with that." Aerie shrugged. "I am not Tenno. They will not follow me."

"Yes they will." Lou replied. "You will be their guide and they will follow you." Was he even listening to her? It didn't sound like it. Natasha stared at him and then slowly shook her head. "You." He snapped at Oris and Galintra. "Back away from her." He aimed his weapon at Oris who did not move. "I said 'Back'!"

"If you fire that thing, it will be the last thing you do." Aerie's tone was still mild. "The two beings-"

" _Traitors!_ Oris and Galintra are traitors!" Lou interrupted, his finger curling on the trigger stud of his rifle. "Step away from her."

" _You_ call _them_ traitors? Hypocrit much? Lower your weeapon or die." Aerie said softly and Lou stared at her as Oris hefted his hammer. "You do not have any idea what is actually going on here. _I_ barely have an idea of what is happening and it scares the hell out of me."

"There is no need for fear, my dear." Lou was trying to sound fathery and he failed miserably. "It all falls into place. And they said I was crazy."

"You _are_ crazy, Lou." Aerie said before anyone else could. "Turn away from this path, Tenno." She all but begged. "This is your only chance to do so. To turn away form this madness before it consumes you utterly."

"Madness?" Lou asked as a Bastille slammed into place, holding the two warframe clad Tenno up off the ground. None of the others were affected. "It was madness to call the Lotus a liar and traitor?"

"Actually, it was." Aerie was still acting disinterested! "She never told the whole truth, but she never lied to the Tenno or betrayed them. She lied to Orokin and turned on them after they tried to enslave her children, but hey, that is fact. Fact has no place in your delusion." Aerie replied, noncomittal as he raised his Braton Prime. "I wouldn't do that." She warned. "Aiming at any of these or me would be a _very_ bad idea."

"I am not going to." Lou replied evenly. "This is keep those nastly fragments away."

"You break them, they get nastier." Natasha looked at Aerie who shrugged. "He really has no clue, does he?"

"No." Aerie sighed deeply. "He doesn't. And now? He has angered these as well." She waved at the two Tenno, both of whom flared with power and fell to land on their feet, melee weapons coming out to the ready. "Tenno! Please! Let me handle this!" She begged.

"You are an idiot, Lou!" Cathi Gata snarled, but then subsided when Aerie choked back a sob. "You have no idea what you are trying to unleash."

"I know exactly what I am doing!" The Vauban took one hand off his rifle to touch his belt where an oddly shaped thign hung. Galintra stiffened, but did not move. "I will save the Tenno."

"And who, pray tell, will save the Tenno from _you?_ " Aerie asked softly. "Or from _me_ when you drive me mad, which you will. You are." She inclined her head to Natasha and the girl backed up a step, two. Aerie turned to face Lou who nodded and pulled something off his belt that expanded into a silver helmet, much like the Lotus had once worn. It too was oddly crinkly looking. "You do not want me to do that!" Aerie declared, not moving.

"This will save you." Loui promised, holding out the odd helmet to Aerie who eyed it.

"Save me?" Aerie inquired. "From who? The Sentients? You? You have no idea what is happening to me, do you?"

"He does not." Natasha said softly. "That is tin foil." She chuckled, but there was no mirth in it. "I would not have believed it if I did not see it with my own eyes, but he is offering you a real _tin foil hat_." The scorn in her vocie warred with incredulity. "I… I have no words."

"A first time for _everything_." Galintra muttered and Oris shared her dark amusement. Natasha scowled at them, but did not speak further.

"This will save you!" Lou snapped. "Put it on!"

"No, it won't." Aerie replied without heat. "It won't save me from what has been done to me. It won't save me from you. It won't save me from the Sentients and it will not save me from Anatoly." She looked to the side. "Will it?"

A tall dark haired stepped stepped out of nowhere into view. Her wore a red Frost warframe but with no helmet. Everyone stiffened as he slowly shook his head.

"You know." He said very quietly.

"I know what you have done." Aerie said very quietly. "I know what you are. A hard light hologram housing a fragment of a mind that hid inside another. You are not the Cephalon who runs the Library. You are-" She gasped as something grabbed hold of her mind and held it tight. A familiar something.

 _Clever girl._ The sheer power that grabbed her mind bypassed every defense, every safeguard she had ever envisioned needing. It tore right in and started to rip her very soul apart. She couldn't resist as it bored deep into her mind, seeking, finding, holding. Ripping and tearing her mind to bits.

"Anatoly..." Galintra said very slowly. "But… You… You are dead. You were dead before I was born!"

"Part of me was. Part of me went on to become that simpering fool that runs the Library." Anatoly replied. "The rest of me? I will have what is mine. This pathetic form is the key to what is mine. Katherine _will be mine_." Aerie groaned as the power within her shattered the note that Natah had given her and the raw, unhindered datastreams poured into her now defenseless mind. She was drowning in data and she could do nothing but weep as the power slowly erased her. Very soon, she would be nothing but a mindless shell. Just like Galah.

"Let her go." Oris snarled, his hammer glowing with fell green energy and a shield appearing in his other hand. "Now!"

"Stop!" Lou shouted at the same time. "She is mine! My queen! You promised!"

"Oh, do shut up, you fool!" Anatoly snapped as Aerie fell to her knees, barely able to sob. "Even as tools go, you are pathetic. This one will do far better. At this one's decree, the Tenno will bring me Katherine." Aerie looked to the sky. It was full dark. Time.

 _Is that enough?_ Aerie pleaded through her pain and everyone stared at her. They could _all_ hear her.

 ** _And_** they could all hear _what_ answered her.

 _ **YES! **_

Everything stopped as a huge Sentient form heaved its way out of the closest body of water. Said water looked far too small to have housed the massive form, but it appeared. The Teralyst was glowing a brightly simmering red. Hunhow was _pissed_!

 _ **LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER'S BUD, YOU FILTHY PIECE OF EXCREMENT!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Energy**

"What have you _done?_ " Anatoly's form was frozen as the red Teralyst stomped forward.

"Treason… never… prospers. You were wrong." Aerie fell to lie on her side. She was not talking to Anatoly. She was talking Galintra who stared at her, wide eyed. "It… It wasn't Hunhow… who-" She broke off with a scream of agony as Anatoly's power scoured her further.

 _ **ENOUGH!**_

Hunhow's rage was a terrible, terrible thing as the Teralyst stepped forward and hit Anatoly's form with a misshapen limb. The hologram bent almost in two and then flexed back. The ancient madman sneered at the Sentient.

"Is that the best you can do?" Anatoly smiled as white energy flew from his fingertips to lance into the Teralyst. The energy scoured it just as it had scoured Aerie and it started to fall apart. Then the energy faded and the Teralyst reformed almost before Aerie's eyes. It had adapted. The huge Sentient form gave out a scream but then the scream became a howl. The howl echoed across the stillness and suddenly, it was answered! Another huge Sentient form rose from that tiny pool to join the first one. Anatoly suddenly looked a lot less confident as _two_ Teralysts approached him. "Okay. A fight then."Anatoly smiled wide as a massive Fragor hammer that glowed white appeared in his hands. "Good. I was getting bored."

He set himself as the two humongous Sentients charged him. None of the others moved even when the impact of the metal aliens and the hard light hologram shook the very ground.

"Tenno… Darkstorms..." Aerie pleaded. "Fall back. You… cannot… No." She begged as Natasha came to her side and fell to her knees, trying to aid the stricken being. "Run!"

"Well played." Natasha said softly. "I suspected something when I did not sense any other Sentient energy in Galah's but I had no idea. How did you know?"

"My mother danced for me. I pray she never realizes what she danced." Aerie said weakly as Natasha did something and the girl's pain faded. "You have to go. They will fight. I… Galah will be drawn into it. I.." She tried to rise and gasped as pain flared again. "Did you see her garden?" She begged.

"I did." Natasha said very quietly. "It was beautiful." Aerie stared at her and Natasha shook her head. "They told the truth. I am not human. I never was. I look it, act it most of the time, but I am not. She _was_ a gentle caretaker."

"Yes, she was." Aerie said sadly. "The others will not see that. Can you…? Can you do anything?" She begged. "For the garden? It will not survive this any more than I will."

"I can." Natasha was still very quiet. "Since it is going to be destroyed, I can take it away, take it somewhere that the various life forms inside it can live out peaceful lives." She paused and then scoffed. "Or as peaceful as nature allows."

"Go. Please. Take it." Aerie felt her limited strength augmented by whatever Natasha was doing and smiled at the other. "Thank you, but please. Go? That is all she wanted." Aerie said sadly. "To keep some hope alive. That is all she was, all she ever did. She saved things. Not always the way we might wish, but she did save them."

"For some, a cage is always going to be a cage, Aerie. No matter how gentle or gilded the bars, it is still a cage." Natasha sighed deeply and then nodded as a roar came from the cave. "And here she comes..."

The roar heralded a massive green Teralyst charging out of the cave. Everyone made way for it as it ignored everyone else to charge Anatoly. Then it stopped in mid-stride, turning to where Aerie lay. Its roar faded and when it sounded again, it was confused.

"We can save your garden, Galah." Aerie said far too softly to be heard over the din of battle, but she knew the other heard her. She felt its sudden comprehension. Its fear, its sadness. " _You_ and _I_ are doomed. _They_ are not. These can help. You touched this one." She nodded to Natasha. "She can help them. She can save them."

A feeling of consternation came to Aerie from the other as it turned to scrutinize her closely. There was no intelligence in that scrutiny, but a feeling of worry. Of compassion. Of boundless love for all living things. Of rage that was founded by loss and sorrow.

"Aerie!" Lou started forward, only to be jerked back by both Cathi Gata and Stephen who took hold of him and held him. "Stop it! It will kill her!"

"She is already dead, you fool." Natasha said sadly as she rose to look at the towering green Sentient. "She has been dead since you infected her with Galah's energy."

"I..." Lou started, only to freeze as the huge green form spun to face him. He all but gibbered as it took a step towards him, its misshapen arms rising to strike.

"No." Aerie said softly as the Sentient growled. "Not him. The other did it. That one is just a tool. A pawn. And… Some good can come of this. What was stolen from you cannot be returned, but it can be used to save a life." She pleaded. "A lost soul wishes to come home, but cannot. Her energy is incompatible with our own. Your energy added to what he stole from her, can save her. Turn her back to what she was." The Sentient turned back to Aerie as the girl wilted. "It will doom us both."

The huge green form shimmered and suddenly a green skinned humanoid form stood where the monster had been. She wore no mask and her face was streaming tears.

 _No understand._ The green skinned woman's communication was odd. It was not words, more images that meant things, but it was clearly understandable. Whatever it was, the communication was not aloud, but it _was_ audible even over the din of the battle that was continuing. _Energy. Need energy._

"Yes, you do. Some is in me." Aerie raised a trembling hand to the green skinned being who stared at it. "Take it."

 _You hurt._ The other said softly. _No hurt!_ She declared.

"Not for much longer." Aerie promised. "Galah, please, we can make this a good thing. Take it! Please!" She begged as her hand fell.

Galah caught her hand and-

Everything came to a sudden halt as Galah screamed. She fell to one knee as Aerie's energy, indeed, _eve_ _r_ _y_ _t_ _hin_ _g_ that Aerie was and ever had been poured into her. Every single memory. Every single note she had ever sung. Every single mote of her energy, the mortally wounded girl poured into the other.

" _NO!_ " Galah screamed as Aerie's body faded from sight. " _No!_ " She stared at where Aerie had been and then she screamed again. " _NOT FOR ME!_ "

 _If not you?_ Aerie's soft voice came from nowhere. She was sad, but not in pain. _Then who? You are not a bad being, Galah. Many will call you such, but you are not. You are a conservationist. A gardener. This will not last long, but what I can give you, I have._

 _I can… I must... Aerie.. I..._ Galah all but stammered as she stared from where Aerie had been to where the two Teralysts stood facing the hologram. All seemed shocked. Lou seemed at loss for words. The four other Tenno and Natasha bowed their heads and did not move. _I can make you a place in my garden!_ She begged.

There was no answer and the green skinned form bowed her head. She started for the cave entrance, only to pause as Anatoly shouted.

"What the hell have you done to Aerie?" He started forward but a slap from one of the Teralysts stopped him in his tracks. He slammed the thing with his hammer, staggering it for a moment. "Back off!" He snarled. "Where is the girl?"

 _Aerie is gone._ Galah said sadly. _She gave everything of herself to allow me lucidity for a short time._ She turned to the quintet of Tenno and nodded to Galintra. _She showed me her hopes, her dreams, her promises._ _She was right. A life for a life, Galintra Darkstorm. Save your mother. You cannot save me_ _any more than you could save her_ _._ She turned to Natasha who nodded. _I…_ _C_ _an_ _you_ _save_ **them?** She begged and Natasha nodded again. _Then, please… Come in. I... I have to make a place for her while I can. While her energy keeps me going. It will not last long._

 _ **GALAH!**_ Hunhow all but begged.

 _I am neither with you nor against you, Hunhow._ Galah replied. _I will not exist much longer and you have no interest in recording, in preserving. I do. It is my duty as it always was. Yours is to destroy. I will not stop you._

 _ **WE CAN HELP YOU!**_ Hunhow tried again.

 _No, you cannot._ Galah shook her head as she entered the cave, the five Tenno at her heels. The battle resumed outside. _It_ _do_ _es_ _not know how and even if_ _it_ _could? The cost is already too dear. I never thought a_ **human** _would show me what it means to love._ _She h_ _a_ _d no secrets from me, at the end._ _She did that because she loved me._

"You were her sister in every way that mattered. Of course she loved you." Natasha offered and Galah smiled at her a bit sadly. The human looking girl turned to the Tenno who were following, silently. "I will say this only the once: You will see things that bother you. _Do_. _Nothing_." She snarled at Lou as he bristled. "If you do anything, _I_ will kill you and there will not be anything left to save if _I_ do it."

 _Wasteful._ Galah looked at Natasha who frowned. _He hurt Aerie_ _and me_ _but should he simply be erased from existence?_ She inquired. _I can use his energy_ _to help the garden grow_ _._

"That is a thought." Natasha said mildly as the group entered a far larger cavern and Galah made a beeline for a small blue sphere that was nestled in one corner. Natasha shook her head as Galah started doing something and green erupted all around the room. Growing things suddenly sprouted every which way, growing fast enough to watch. Trees, bushes, grassy plains, all in miniature. All composed of blue green energy. "Take your time, Galah. Do it so it lasts."

 _I do not know how long her energy will last._ The Sentient in human seeming said weakly as she worked. _Mother tried to get through to me after I was hurt. I… I do not remember and Aerie never asked. Did I hurt her?_

"Not that I know of." Natasha reassured her. She stilled as Aerie appeared on the floor, lying as if asleep. "Is that…?"

 _Her energy._ Galah said sadly. _No more. Her mind joined with mine, healed the damage temporarily, but it cannot hold me for long. The both of us are doomed as she said, but perhaps there is hope for the garden. You know what you have to do._

"I do not want to." Natasha said sadly as she looked around. "These have been tended so carefully. Your skill is incredible."

 _Thank you._ Galah replied a bit absently as Aerie's form shrank. It shrank until it was a single dot of blue light and then slowly eased into the sphere. It faded and the sphere contracted, the green that had surrounded them all vanishing.

All five Tenno stopped short as a tiny dot hurtled _out_ of the sphere. It expanded into a human form. The human girl wasn't wearing anything at all and the dark skinned face that was framed by her dirty yellow hair? She was smiling! She might have been ten years old.

" _There_ you are, gardener!" The girl declared, her hands on her hips. "We have been worried about you!" Everyone but Natasha stared from the girl to the Sentient and back.

 _Shina._ The Sentient said weakly. _You need to go back in. Your parents will worry._

"Who is she?" The girl asked quietly. "The one you just sent to us? She won't wake up."

"Uh..." Natasha said quietly as she strode to the Sentient's side. She shook her head. "It is cold out here, you better get back in."

"Who are you?" The girl asked, sudden fear rising. She stared around and froze as she saw the others eyeing her. "Um… gardener?"

 _The newest specimen's name is Aerie._ Galah said heavily. _I fear she will not wake. Your people can tend her. If she wakes, then you will be her friends. If not? She will rest in the garden with your ancestors and mine._

"What is happening?" The girl begged as she took a step towards the Sentient. "Gardener?"

 _You need to go back in!_ _I do not have long._ The Sentient begged and then sighed as the girl threw herself at the metal form, sobbing. _Oh, Shina… Do not cry. All of us have our appointed times. Mine comes._

"No, you can't _die!_ You saved us all!" The girl begged through her tears. _"_ This is not fair!"

 _Fair does not come into it._ The Sentient laid her arms around the sobbing girl. _In all things, there is balance, Shina. For every evil, there must be a good. For every good, there must be an evil. I have done both in keeping my garden. Even my kind die, Shina and my time is coming._

"You were kind to us." Shina pleaded. "I don't want to lose you!"

 _You know better than that. You know that part of me will always be with you._ Galah chided the girl gently and then carefully extricated herself from the embrace to push the girl towards the sphere. _Go on. Tell the others_ _that_ _there will be someone new caring for the garden._ She turned to Natasha who nodded.

"Hello Shina. My name is Natasha. It will probably not be me, I am fighter, not a caregiver." Natasha warned. "I will try to be there to introduce you." The human seeming female promised.

 _Shina…_ Galah prompted when the girl did not move.

"I..." Shina bowed to Natasha. "I am honored to meet you." Her face fell. "Gardener..." She begged.

 _Go home, Shina._ Galah said softly. _Your parents will be worried._

The girls slumped but then nodded. Her form collapsed into a tiny dot of light that few into the sphere. Said sphere contracted into a small metal ball. Galah picked it up from where it lay on the floor and offered it to Natasha who took it in reverent hands.

 _Take… Take care of them?_ Galah begged. _None of them deserved what happened._

"I will." Natasha promised.

"What was that?" Cathi Gata sounded odd. Not angry. Odd. Stephen was shaking his head beside her, but neither were hostile. Lou was furious, but both Darkstoms had hold of him. "That girl was real. Not a simulation or a digital copy. Real."

Natasha and Galah shared a look and then the Sentient heaved a deep sigh.

 _What is life, Tenno?_ The Sentient asked quietly as she sat on the floor.

"Are you speaking scientifically or philosophically?" The Valkyr asked slowly, still not hostile.

 _A bit of both, actually._ Galah smiled at her, her body visibly slowing. _In your kind and mine, energy is life. It is what we are, what composes us. The altered wavelengths that make up our memories and thoughts are what makes each of us different. In most organic forms, the energy is far more constrained, but it is still present._

"Yes." Cathi Gata made the single syllable drawl into a question.

 _The history of humanity is replete with the mistakes that humans have made._ Galah was heaving now, in grief or in fatigue or both. _Many of those mistakes obliterated entire species. They are gone. The duck billed pl_ _a_ _typus, the_ _fishing cat, the bottle-nose dolphin,... So many. Gone. We came to stop the Orokin. We did_ **not** _come to utterly destroy everything. At least, not at first._ She looked at the floor _. Things changed and not for the better. I have not changed. I made my garden and I have added to it as I have found new life.  
_

"So, your garden has humans in it." Cathi Gata said softly.

"Her garden has _millions_ of species in it." Natasha replied, cradling the small metal ball protectively. "Humans are only one of them. They all coexist in a protected biosphere that allows them to live out their lives."

"Predators and prey living together?" Cathi Gata demanded, shaking her head. "Yeah, right."

 _Nature is rarely gentle about such things. My garden is much more so._ _It will not allow any to go extinct._ Galah retorted. _That is better than any human could manage._

"It a _zoo?_ " Lou demanded, incredulous. "You kidnap people to put in a _zoo?_ "

"Small minds thinking about cages." Natasha scoffed at him. "It is a _nature preserve_ , you moron! She is a fricking _conservationist!_ " The Excalibur and Valkyr stared at her and then at the metal ball. "Yes, she saved who knows how many millions of species that would have all died out. Humans are only _one_ of those. It is an entire continent filled with millions, perhaps _billions_ of different forms of life. Plants, animals, you name it!"

"But not Aerie." Stephen said quietly. Galah and Natasha shook their heads.

 _She poured all of herself into me with no thought for herself._ Galah said sadly. _I couldn't separate her mind from mine entirely. Perhaps the garden will rejuvenate her physical form but her mind, her memories are in me and I am fading. As she said, we are doomed. I will hold you to your oath, Darkstorm._ She said to Oris who nodded. _You… You should all back up now. Please._ She begged Natasha. _Keep my garden safe?_

"I will." Natasha's word were an oath. "But..." She looked at Lou who stiffened. "He has part of you too."

 _Not for long._ Galah said with a growl as her form expanded back into the huge misshapen green thing that had menaced them before. Before anyone could move, a limb lashed out to grab Lou who screamed as it held him off the ground and shook him hard. Something fell from him to clatter to the ground as energy swirled around Lou and he screamed again. _Take it, Galintra Darkstorm. Save your mother. For Aerie and for me. This one will feed my garden._

Galintra did, hooking the small object to her own belt as Natasha backed up and both of the warframe clad Tenno did as well. A horrible sound of metal and energy screaming came as Lou's warframe was slowly pulled apart. The scream faded as green energy flashed from the remnants of the warframe to the sphere that Natasha held. The warframe was dust and less than dust as the green Sentient retracted her limb.

"Wait." Stephen said quickly. "Won't _he_ rejuvenate in there?"

 _Yes, he will._ Galah's voice was nearly gone, but feral satisfaction sounded. _Most of his energy will be used to maintain the systems._ _The rest?_ _I am sure he will enjoy his new unending life as a_ **krill** _._

"A _what_?" Cathi Gata and Stephen both stared as Natasha shuddered _hard_.

"Um, krill were pretty much the lowest prey on the food chain." Natasha said weakly as the ball in her hands flared with the energy and then resumed its dormancy. Was that a tiny scream that faded? No one commented. " _Everything_ ate them. Then he comes back and gets eaten again. Ouch." She was smiling in approval as she said that.

"He might give anything that eats him indigestion." Cathi Gata gave herself a shake. "But I do think that poetic for someone who hurt Aerie."

 _He_ _did but he_ _was a pawn._ Galah's voice was a feral roar now. _I will end the one who commanded him._ Her form started running and everyone got out of her way.

They came out to find the plain silent. Both Teralysts lay in pieces and many, many holograms of Anatoly stood around, armed with many different weapons. They all smirked in unison.

"Going somewhere?" He asked from all around. He paused as Galintra smiled back.

"No." She flared with green and where the female Tenno had stood, she was now in her armor and had her bow in hand. But her face… Long pointed ears stuck up from either side around long black hair that was elaborately bound. Her bow was in hand and an arrow was nocked. She stretched lightly as Oris also flared, his armor appearing around him again. His hammer was in hand, but now an _ax_ that also glowed green appeared in his other hand. "All I want is right here."

"Crazy elf. Always trying to steal the fun fights." Oris muttered as Galah snarled, readying herself to charge. Natasha stepped back, shielding the sphere, as both warframes drew their weapons as well.

"Well, of course." Galintra sneered at the suddenly confused Anatoly. "You don't send a _paladin_ like _you_ to steal stuff. You send a _thief_ like _me_."

With that, all of the armed beings charged.


	17. Chapter 17

**Real**

For a moment, with two Tenno in warframes, two Darkstorms and a totally enraged Sentient charging the mob of holograms, it seemed as if the battle would be fairly even.

Only for a moment.

When Galah's massive limbs or feet slammed any of the myriad identical holograms to the dirt, sometimes they got up, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes there wasn't enough left of them to move, but they kept trying anyway. Broken holographic limbs that twitched littered the area behind her as she stomped through the enemy ranks. Stephen's Gram and Cathi Gata's Glaive scored hit after hit and seemed to do no damage to most their targets, taking minutes to down one even one working in unison. In contrast, when Galintra let loose an arrow, whatever it hit faded from existence. The same thing happened when Oris slammed enemies with his hammer or axe. When the Darkstorms struck, the holograms didn't even scream. They just vanished.

The problem was, that for every hologram the mismatched fighters destroyed, disabled or in Galah's case, _dismembered_ , at least _two_ more appeared. All of them armed and all of them attacking with assorted weapons.

All the while, Anatoly smirked at them from every face as they fought.

"You know this is pointless, right?" Anatoly asked from every throat. "I can be hundreds of these at once. How many can you disable?"

"And how are you powering that, hmmm?" Natasha asked from where she stood. "You know there are some things that no one in their right mind touches in this place." She paused and scoffed. "Wait. What am I _saying?_ You are clearly insane. Have at." She shrugged as several of the closest holograms gawked at her. "Go for it."

"You are not going to interfere?" Anatoly asked carefully as the others fought on.

"As long as you leave what I am protecting alone, no." Natasha shrugged again. "You do not want to threaten the innocents I guard." Cold, hard malice sang in her voice. That was _not_ a human tone. "I am not from around here and I have no quarrel with you like they do." She frowned. "Well, _except_ for what you did to that poor girl." She shook her head. "That _does_ piss me off, but I _do_ have innocents to protect, so… Leave me be and I will leave you be."

"Or?" Anatoly smiled from several of his copies. Said smile faltered as Natasha smiled back, just as evilly.

"Or I might find a way to disable the means by which you are hiding what you are siphoning power from." Natasha said very quietly as the fight intensified. "I know what will happen if I do that. Do you?" She inquired coldly.

"You are not going anywhere until I have the girl." The copies snapped at her. "I will have her and she will get the Tenno to bring me Katherine."

"The girl is sort of _dead_. Humans do not generally come back from that." She shook her head slowly, to all appearances bemused. "All this for a female who told you to… what was it?" Natasha asked nobody in particular. "Oh, yes. Отвянь!" She smiled at Anatoly's sudden lack of expression on every face that was looking at her. "Or, 'Go to hell' in the most common language of that time. English was the human language I learned first actually. She didn't want anything to do with you. You bothered her."

"How do you know that?" Anatoly's forms closest to Natasha coalesced into one and it was looking at her even as the others continued to fight.

"I talk to people." Natasha shrugged. "I have always liked meeting new people. Talking to them, hearing their stories. Fighting is what my parents were made for, but just like them, I don't enjoy killing for its own sake. Do you?" She asked.

"You are stalling." Anatoly said with a growl. "What are you hiding?"

"I am not stalling. I am trying to understand." Natasha met his gaze calmly. "You killed Aerie. I want to know why."

"The change won't kill her." Anatoly snapped, derisive. "I know it won't. It didn't kill me!"

"She was not you." Natasha sighed. "And you simply cannot get that, can you? You do not understand, do you?" She sounded sad. "You hurt Galah, took her energy and used it to infect Aerie. To get Katherine? Why? She didn't want anything to do with you!" Natasha still wasn't angry. If anything, she was even more confused. "And you knew that! That is why you made the Library! What the hell do you want with Katherine?"

"The Tenno hurt her." Anatoly said very softly and Natasha jerked. "I am trying to help her." For a long moment, she stared at Anatoly who shook his head. "I _will_ help her. Where is the girl?"

"Aerie is _dead_ , Anatoly." Natasha said sadly. "You killed her when you changed her against her will. She chose not to let you do that."

"She cannot die." Anatoly was getting angrier now. "She is energy now, just like me."

"Even energy forms can die, Anatoly." Natasha said very sadly. "She chose to. It was that or go mad and she chose to sacrifice herself for someone else you hurt." Anatoly growled at her and she sighed. "Ah well, I tried." She looked at the ground and when she looked up, her eyes were glowing a feral red. When she spoke, her voice was not human in _slightest_ , but it held an odd human accent? _London?_ "Go right ahead and be stupid. Do whatever the bloody hell you think you can do. As soon as you do, I will let the Guardians know what you are doing. They will not react well to you tapping the database's primary structure."

At that, Anatoly actually recoiled from her, but then he recovered. "That thing, whatever it is! Aerie is in there, isn't she? Give me Aerie or I will break it!"

"No." Natasha snarled right back as the metal orb in her hands flashed gold for a moment and then vanished in a haze of green and black. " _That_ was a mistake. _Now_ we have a quarrel." She snapped her fingers and Anatoly scoffed as it seemed to do nothing.

"Was that the best you can do?" He demanded and then he stiffened as one of the other holograms that hadn't been involved in the fight yet vanished. "What? NO!"

"I think… Someone's clandestine power tap just suffered a misfortune." Natasha said very quietly as more and more of Anatoly's holograms vanished. "I _also_ think you have really pissed off some people you _should not have_."

"That he has." All of the holograms still in place, some to be cut down in place as _Nikis_ strode out of nowhere to stand by Natasha. The pitch black Nekros shook his head. "And to think… I once called you 'friend'. 'Tovarisch', even." Russian for 'comrade'. Friend and more than friend. Not quite family, but close. "Hello Anatoly."

" _YOU!_ " Anatoly all but screamed that. "You hurt her! You hunt her! You will not take her back!" Far from moved, Nikis just shook his head.

"No. I won't." The Grandmaster of the Dead agreed very quietly. "She is not in my jurisdiction anymore. You see, what happened to Katherine was a tragedy. A shame to all of our kind. We tried to help her and we had no idea what we were doing. I did my duty, Anatoly, no more, no less. You know that. Or… you did. Once. What they did to Kat to try and bring Katherine back was uncalled for. What the others did to Zephyr was worse. No one is going to hurt her again, Anatoly. _No one_." That was cold and hard. "Especially not you."

"How many times did you beat her down, drag her back and throw her into that hell?" Anatoly sneered. "And you _dare_ claim the moral high ground?"

"I do not claim a thing." Nikis replied, still calm! "Moral or otherwise. That was not Katherine, that was _Kat_ , Anatoly and now? No one will touch _her_." Nikis was sad as all of the other holograms vanished and two very worse for wear warframes stood with weapons raised that they slowly lowered to ready positions. Galah fell in a clattering heap to lie still as both Darkstorms took stock and then started tending each other's wounds. "And you know it. Katherine died when Trinity tried to put her back in her body. What came out wasn't the woman we knew. That is our fault, our responsibility. Our _shame_."

"I have saved Katherine!" Anatoly snapped. "You took her again! I will _save_ her from you!"

"Ah shit, you did, didn't you?" Nikis sighed. "You broke Nyx's decree. You got that fool to pull her out. Damn it, tovarisch, you can't _do_ that!"

" _You_ can't." Anatoly sneered. "I am more powerful than you now."

"Maybe." Nikis shrugged. "Maybe not. But I know something you don't and that is how far I can push some rules. I push them very hard on occasion. So hard they squeak, but I do not _break_ them. You did." He sighed deeper as Anatoly drew a long curved sword. "Damn it, man, don't do this! We can-"

"You can shut up and give me Katherine!" Anatoly snapped. "You know I can hurt you, I will kill you if you do not give her to me."

"We could kill each other, yeah. You know I cannot allow that any more than I can allow what you did to the database to stand." Nikis slumped a bit. "Ah, Kalina is gonna flay me." He did not draw a weapon as Anatoly took a step forward. "Anatoly, tovarisch, stand down. Please!" Was he begging? "You know I have backup plans. You know I wouldn't come here unprepared."

"You will give me Katherine!" Anatoly raised his sword, but then jerked as something hit him from behind! He stared down at the neat, clean _hole_ that had been blown _through_ the chest of his hologram! He turned and everyone stared as two forms appeared atop a hill nearby, The Ivara warframe was grey and held a long rifle with the ease of familiarity. But it was the _human_ who held the Rubico Prime sniper rifle to her shoulder who had Anatoly freezing. A wisp of smoke came from the muzzle of her rifle. _She_ had fired, not the Tenno. She wore Corpus attire, but no helmet. "Katherine?"

Her rifle answered him and he staggered as the bullet hit him center mass..

"Thus always to traitors." The woman said as she fired again and again, her insanely powerful rifle blowing holes right through his hologram. She reloaded as Anatoly stared at her, seemingly in shock as she emptied the magazine again! "How _many_ must you kill for this insanity? How _many!_ " She threw her rifle away and ran down the hill even as the Ivara caught the flying weapon and shook her head. Katherine ran right up to Anatoly and slapped him, _hard!_ "How many innocents must you kill for something you can never have?"

"Katherine..." Anatoly reached out with a slow hand, but she batted it away.

" _Nekulturny!"_ Katherine snapped. An ancient insult, but still biting. "Do _not_ think that I do not know that _you_ suggested to the others that a body might bring me back. That _you_ suggested making Zephyr! That you _watched_ as Kat screamed. As they _forced_ my memories into her! _She wasn't_ _me!_ " She snarled. "You tortured an innocent woman because she _looked like me_." Nikis himself might not have bested her cold, hard rage. "And you were not content to do that, were you? How many lives have you destroyed? How many loyal Tenno have you led wrong? How many innocents have you slain for this? How many noncombatants have you slaughtered for this? This madness?"

"Katherine, come away." Anatoly said urgently, not fazed at all by the ten holes that gaped in his hologram. "It is not safe here."

"No, it is not." Katherine snarled. "And _you_ are the cause. The cause of so much of this. How many of the traitors to the Tenno were influenced by you?" He stared at her. "How many have you led into damnation?" She demanded.

"You will come with me." Anatoly reached for her, but _another_ hand batted his away as a bright blue Frost Prime warframe stepped out of nowhere to stand between the two of them.

"No, she won't." The other sounded cultured, mild even. But at the sound of it, Nikis jerked. Katherine shook her head and Nikis slowly subsided.

"This has been a long time coming, Nikis." Kronus appeared nearby, his form trembling. "A very long time indeed."

"Ya didn't… Ya _did!_ Nyx is gonna have your _privates_ for _lunch_ , ya brat." Nikis groaned at the time traveler. "You gonna be dancing until _doomsday_!"

"She is going to have to stand in line, Grandmaster Nikis. _Lots_ of us are fairly upset with him." The newcomer said as he drew an ornate Reaper scythe. "Yeah, I screwed up big time and I paid for it according to Kronus. I cannot change that. I _can_ fix _this_." A dark Nekros warframe appeared beside the Frost Prime and then, a human form who was glowing golden. They all nodded to Kronus as Anatoly backpedaled a step. "But now? This truly poetic. He _did_ suggest to me that the Lotus had no idea what she was doing. That the Elders could not be trusted with the future of the Tenno."

"He suggested to me that Eliza was weak." The gravelly voice of the Nekros was furious as he drew a wicked looking scythe than glowed as orange as he was. "That the crown was mine by right."

"He suggested to me that energy form was a good way to go." The human snapped, his hands flaring with golden energy. "That nothing else mattered but immortality."

"I see." Nikis stepped back and Katherine moved to flank him as Anatoly stared from her to the newcomers.

"No..." Anatoly stammered. "Katherine! I did it for you!"

"I never _asked_ for that!" Katherine snapped. "I was _gone!_ I was at _rest_ and you brought me back to pain and fear! You had no right! You had no right to do what you did to Kat or to any of the others you used, abused, and then threw away. You reap what you sow." She bowed her head as the three newcomers advanced on Anatoly who was clearly trying to flee, but was hampered somehow.

"Oh no." Nyx's voice heralded… No, that wasn't a shade! _That was the First Nyx in the_ _bioarmored_ _flesh_ who strode out of nowhere to stand with the other three. She hefted a huge Scindo axe that glowed with dark power and promise. The designated executioner of the First stood ready to do her duty. "You are going _nowhere_ , traitor! These assholes won't stay long, just long enough to fix _this_ mess."

"Kronus? What have you _done?_ " Nikis breathed, horrified. "You idiot! You are gonna cause a nocter!"

"I did." Kronus sighed and shook his head. "I had no idea how bad it was until I tried to fix things. I am to blame, Nikis. But… Katherine, I am so, so sorry." He bowed to her and she nodded. "I believed him." He said weakly. "I really _did_ believe him when he said he wanted to help you. I hoped he was telling the truth. Then I found out he wasn't the Library. I thought he was. That he was really only interested in saving you."

"I think in his own twisted way, he was." Katherine swallowed hard as Natasha stepped to her side, taking the human's hands in her own. "I… Captain… I..."

"No, Katherine. No titles, just Natasha today." The human seeming being said gently. "I do not know how much of this will survive the editing, but it is not your fault. Nothing that happened to you was your fault." She took Katherine in her arms as the woman started to cry.

" _Katherine!_ " Anatoly screamed as _Nicholas_ , Karl's brother who had taken his clan in rebellion to the Elders and killed thousands of humans, _Micheal_ who had tried to wrest control of the remnants of Orokin from Empress Eliza and stolen the life energies of four of her daughters to do so, and _Rasputin_ who had once tortured Nyx to try and steal her power, stalked towards him. Three of the _worst_ villains in Tenno history stepped forward with _Nyx_ at their back. Was she there to guard? To slay? Or what? Hard to say. _One_ thing was clear. She was _furious_.

"That won't stop him." Katherine said weakly as the three villains charged the hologram and they started hacking at each other. Nyx stood back and watched, ax at the ready. "Even if you destroy the energy here, Nikis… He isn't here. You know he won't be."

"I know." Nikis laid a hand on her shoulder as the battle continued. Then he stiffened as Cathi Gata screamed.

" _STEPHEN! NO!_ "

Everyone turned to see the Excalibur caught in the grip of yet another hologram of Anatoly. He was writhing, twisting, trying to escape as the hologram encased him and suddenly it stilled as the hologram sank into it. It started to glow an eerie familiar black as familiar wrong looking armor started to form on its shoulders, ankles and chest. Anatoly laughed from the warframe as it drew its sword.

"Did you _really_ think it was going to be that easy?" Anatoly said with glee from the possessed warframe, but then _he_ screamed as something hit it and the hologram went flying from it. His hologram landed a good ten feet from the warframe as a golden mace flew back to the hand of… _Atlas!_ He was not alone! Standing well away from him…

"You lousy thief." Nova all but spat those words. "Is that the _best_ you can do? _Stealing_ things. Stealing methods and tech from those who make it and know how to use it? Trying to steal _people?_ You may be able to take it, but that does _not_ mean you know how to use it, you lying piece of crap."

She strode up to where the Excalibur fell boneless to the ground and touched him. The wrong looking armor faded off the Excalibur. She retracted her hand quickly and backed up as Stephen gasped and then moaned. Nova took another step, but this one towards Anatoly who tried to back away, but was hemmed in somehow.

"Proximity to the control helped like you thought, Atlas. I took a lot, but he should be okay." Nova said sadly. Then her voice hardened with her face as she looked at Anatoly. "Frost always said there was something wrong with you, Anatoly, but none of us had any idea." She took another step towards him. Galintra rose and took a step, but stopped when Nova shook her head. "No. This is a Tenno matter, Darkstorm. Our mess to clean up."

Galintra slumped but then nodded and went back to tending Oris' many wounds.

"Stay away from me!" Anatoly commanded.

"Why?" Nova demanded. "So you can trick more people into betraying the Tenno like you did my daughter? This ends _now_ , you lying sack of shit! Nyx? _I_ challenge Anatoly for the wrongs he has done to all of us."

"Oh… dear..."


	18. Chapter 18

**Breaking**

Anatoly started to laugh as everyone in the area groaned at the same time.

"Damn, Nova!" Anatoly smirked even as the three villains closed in on him again. Now he was defending himself from three attacks. His sword-work was good, but he was being attacked from three sides at once. Two scythes and bolts of golden energy slammed into him again and again to little apparent effect. Considering the multiple holes that were still showing through him? Not that surprising. Hard light holograms were notoriously durable. Even more so than warframes. "I honestly never thought you had a sense of humor. I guess I was wrong."

"There is much you do not know about me." Nova said with a growl. "And yes, I know you don't care about silliness like rules, but my husband and daughter did. _Do_." She corrected herself with a smile at Galintra who returned it.

"There are limits, Nova." Atlas growled as he moved to stand by Galintra who nodded to him. "He passes them. Any word he gives will be false."

"Yeah." Nova sighed deeply and shook her head. "I guess so." She moved to where Katherine and Natasha were watching and slumped a bit before laying a hand on the shoulder of the still crying woman. "It is all right, Katherine. It will be all right." She promised.

"I will save her from you!" Anatoly snarled and started for the trio, only to be pushed back bodily by the newly come Nekros and Frost Prime. "Get out of my way, you fools!"

"No." Nicholas snarled right back as he placed himself between Anatoly and Katherine. "The only way to get to her is through us." He screamed as Anatoly grabbed him.

"Proposal accepted." The insane being in the hologram said with glee as he tore the Frost Prime's arm off. He threw it away, but Nyx caught it with a free hand. She shook her head as she dropped it at her feet. "Don't worry, Nyx." Anatoly promised. "I will get you more toys." He lashed out and Rasputin's _head_ flew off to land at Nyx's feet. "One more to go." He grinned at Micheal who backpedaled. "Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt you too badly."

"No, you won't." Atlas said as he started to move, but… He did not attack. He sheathed his mace and his shield vanished! What was he doing? No one moved from where they stood as Atlas started to _dance!_ Nikis shook his head, but his posture was amused as Atlas showed moves that no outside of the Tenno had ever seen! He hadn't just been a fighter. In humans, dance had its roots in hand to hand combat and few had ever been in Atlas' class in that and in one other thing. He waved to Kronus who groaned. "Do it!" The first commander of the Royal Guard commanded as he spun, flipping an imaginary hat from his head to his hand and back.

"I hate you all." Kronus said very softly. Nyx growled at him and he started to sing!

 _Do you ever feel like a plastic bag  
Drifting thought the wind  
Wanting to start again…_

Anatoly was hardly the only to gawk as Kronus sang and Atlas danced! _Everyone_ was staring. Katherine's sobs faded and she was actually smiling as the pair of Tenno made a complete spectacle of themselves.

 _'Cause baby you're a firework  
Come on show 'em what your worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

As a matter of fact, only two of the beings on the plain were _not_ staring at the spectacle of Kronus embarrassing himself and Atlas _enjoying_ himself! Natasha was standing between Anatoly and Katherine now and Nova… She took a slow, careful step towards Anatoly. No paid her any mind at _all_ as Atlas started to break-dance _!_ Even the sorely wounded Nicholas was staring at the warframe as it gyrated across the ground. Then music started! Everyone turned to see an Octavia warframe striding towards them. From her posture, Ess wasn't happy, but the music was clear. Atlas spun to his feet and bowed to her as Kronus nodded sourly. The music continued and Kronus started to sing a new song.

 _I been working so hard  
I'm punching my card  
Eight hours for what  
Oh, tell me what I got  
I get this feeling  
That times just holding me down  
I'll hit the ceiling  
Or else I'll tear up this town_

Wow! That was the only word for what happened when Atlas cut completely loose. How the hell was even a warframe moving like that? Windmills, headspins, jackhammers, baby spins, flares… Eveything! He did it _all!_ Clearly he was having fun as he moon-walked, spun, twisted, flopped and just broke loose. Suddenly two Rumblers erupted from the ground and then _they_ were dancing! _With Atlas!_ Ess joined the dance without hesitation and the two warframes partnered with the two Rumblers as _everyone_ else stared in shock.

"Tell me _someone_ is recording this!" Katherine muttered very softly. Natasha grinned at her and nodded as Nova made another slow step. Anatoly paid her no mind. No one _else_ did either.

Finally, the music ended as it had to and all four of the dancers spun too face Anatoly who slowly shook his head.

"Okay." Anatoly mused. "As distractions go, that was pretty good." He nodded to Atlas. "You can still bust a move." Nova didn't move and Anatoly sighed. "Oh, my dear. Did you really think to sneak up on me like that?"

"No." Nova replied as Nicholas hefted his scythe in his good arm, Michael set himself to charge again and Rasputin's body rose, a ghostly golden head take in the place of what had been knocked off. "I didn't."

"What?" Anatoly turned to look at her and then he sighed as the ground underneath him erupted in a mash of green metal! Galah! The Sentient's arm grabbed hold of him and did not let go. "Didn't you learn _anything_ from fighting me before, Sentient?" Anatoly asked sourly. "You cannot adapt to my attacks because I can adapt just as fast as you can."

 _I did._ Galah's voice was very soft now. Weakening. _This is not an attack._

Triumph sounded in her voice as Nova finally got close enough to touch Anatoly who screamed as she did just that. She threw herself bodily into him, grabbing and holding tight. He screamed again. A scream that cut off with a 'pamf' as the hologram vanished. But Nova did not relax. No one did as she poured her power into something that only she could see. She poured more and more and more of herself into something that no one could see.

"Nova! Stop! You will kill yourself!" Nikis said urgently.

"And how many more will he kill?" Nova demanded, her voice soft but with rage instead of weakness. "How many lives must he destroy?"

"No more. Take my energy. Use it to fix this." Nicholas said as he laid his sole remaining hand on Nova's shoulder and vanished with a 'pamf'. Micheal did the same and vanished as well. Rasputin paused but Nyx cleared her throat.

"It is _that_ or _pineapples_." The First Nyx said with a deep, almost maniacal chuckle and Rasputin all but threw himself onto Nova. He too vanished as everyone looked at Nyx who shrugged. "What can I say? He pissed me off."

"Did he? What an idiot." Nova smiled wide as a small, golden thing appeared in front of her. It fell to the ground with a clink. Was that a golden earring? "Ah, here you are, you little piece of trash."

 _Stay away from me!_ Anatoly tinny voice came from the thing.

"Oh, I am not going to touch you again." Nova reassured him as she took a step back. "Merely feeling your evil was soiling enough."

"He has to have copies." Nikis said very slowly as he drew his Dark Sword.

"He had many. Not anymore." Nova replied in a cold dead voice and everyone stared as _Nikis_ shuddered.

"Don't ever let them give you to the women." Atlas said in a very quiet voice as he moved to stand by Nikis who was shaking his head.

"No." Nikis agreed. "There are things that guys won't do. Even _me_." He allowed. "This is all that is left?" He queried Nova who nodded.

"The Library is separate." Nova said quietly. "I thought to sense a connection, but apparently he broke off all contact when it went into hibernation. You should be on guard anyway." She slowly shook her head. "I…" She stepped well away from the group. "I better stay away. I don't know what effects I might have when you do it and this needs to end. Now."

"Agreed." Nikis stepped to where the earring lay and then stabbed it with his sword. A scream came from it. A scream that faded quickly. Green energy swirled around the sword and then around Nikis' hand. "Aw shit! Booby trap! Get back!" He commanded.

"Nikis!" More than one person shouted as Nikis grunted in effort.

"Fool! Katherine is _mine!_ " The voice was stronger now and was still coming from the earring! But then Katherine stepped up to frozen Nekros, grabbed Nikis' hand and shoved the sword all the way down into something that was not visible. "What? No! Katherine! Let go!"

"No." Katherine said quietly. "Kill him and kill me. Do it. It is all you know how to do. Kill things. You are not the being I knew once. Whatever you are now? You are not the man I knew. The man who came to the Tenno when I took sick and sat by my bed while I passed. Who professed his love for me then. I could not let anyone save me. I was not human, Anatoly. I could not let what I was pass on to anyone else or humanity was likely _doomed_. Especially not a child! I told you that! You _accepted_ it! You accepted that I was dying and _wanted_ it! I did feel for you. But now? All I feel is sorrow. The good man I knew is gone. You were not nice, but you were good. Now? All you are is fragment of evil. Go on." She said sadly. "End it for all of us."

"You..." More than one person gawked at Katherine. Natasha, Oris and Galintra all bowed their heads in silence. Nikis was the first to speak.

"You… You didn't _let_ Trinity save you." Nikis sounded shocked. A first in quite a while.

"No." Katherine replied as the green energy swirled around her, collapsing slowly in on her and Nikis. "I am not human, Nikis. I was not human from the moment I was altered. I look human, act it, but I am not. Nor am I Tenno. I am alone. Unique. A traitor and monster all in one."

"You were never a monster!" Nova, Atlas, Nikis, Nyx _and Anatoly_ all chorused that.

"No?" Katherine asked. "What is a monster? An imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening? No, I am not that. But if I had bred, had children… Nova, I know you saw Trinity's report. The one she sealed."

"Katherine..." Nova said weakly. "It was… She didn't mean it like _that!_ "

"Mean _what?_ " Nikis and Atlas snarled as one. Both women looked at each other and Nikis sighed. "I don't think it matters now."

"It _does_." Katherine snapped. "I had Brianna check. I am _exactly_ the same as I was when I went to sleep the last time, Nikis." She paused and made a face. "Minus the pneumonia."

 _You did that on purpose._ _Went out, worked_ _on the transport in a blizzard_ _and got pneumonia on purpose_ **k** **nowing** _you were resistant to any treatments!_ Anatole's voice held shock. _Why?_

"Anatoly, what is the primary evolutionary requirement for any species to survive?" Katherine asked softly.

 _Reproduction._ Anatoly replied and then he hissed. _No. No!_

"Yes." Katherine replied. "I can make more like me. It is actually built into me to seek such. To seek a worthy mate, to procreate. By force if needed. I can fend it off with my mental training and Tenno mental tricks, but I cannot _stop_ it. It was built into my genes, Anatoly. I was _remade_ to take control of the human race. You know that." She sighed deeply. "I feel it even now. Go on. Finish this. Please." She all but begged.

"Katherine." Nikis tried again. "We can do things, drugs, energy, _surgery!_ "

"I adapt and it grows back." Katherine said very quietly. "Brianna tried everything she could and I swore her to secrecy. Kat doesn't know and she doesn't have this, thank God. It dies with me. You wanted me, Anatoly. You have _got_ me."

 _NOT LIKE THIS!_ Anatoly screamed. _There has to be a way!_

"What do you think I have been trying to _find_ all this time?" Katherine snapped. "There _isn't_." She turned to eye Natasha who slowly shook her head. "Is there?"

"In my own experience? Not after reaching that stage, no." Natasha was sad. "The experiments that made my my mom and dad were stopped before they reached that stage. We have seen it happen in a bunch of other realities. Someone makes the perfect slaves. They make them faster, stronger, smarter..." She slumped. "More ambitious. More dangerous. And then the idiots _always_ make them self replicating. It _never_ ends well." Galintra and Oris both looked horrified but Natasha just shook her head. "Katherine..."

"You and I _both_ know how this has to end, Captain. If the _Corpus_ get their hands on this..." Katherine slumped as well. "...we haven't _seen_ bad. I did what I could, prepared everyone as best I can in case someone did get samples. I have leave from Liriel to seek an end. Her healers tried everything _they_ could, but my body recovers from anything done to it. I am immortal and a deadly peril to humanity. I _refuse_ to be such. I am a traitor. This must be done, Anatoly."

 _No._ Anatoly snapped and the green energy that had surrounded her and Nikis faded. Nikis stabbed again and the earring flashed once before vanishing. _I love you, Katherine._ The voice vanished in a haze of green static.

Katherine stared at where the earring had been and then she collapsed to her knees, tears falling. Nova looked at the others and then she slowly and carefully moved to where Katherine was crying. Nikis made way for her. Galintra and Oris stepped up, Natasha as well.

"You can't fix this." Katherine's words were statement, not question. "Why didn't he kill me? If he loved me, he should have killed me! The man I knew… He let me die. He could have done things to me, held me down while they cut me open, tore my lungs out and forced my flesh to regrown. He didn't. Why didn't _this_ Anatoly kill me?"

"I don't know." Nova said sadly. "He was always a cunning one, sneaky as hell and he always had plans within plans. I don't detect any more energy that resonates with his signature, but I cannot be sure." She warned.

"Would throwing me into a _star_ or _black hole_ kill me?" Katherine pleaded of the three extra-reality visitors. Oris and Galintra looked at Natasha who shook her head.

"I don't know." Natasha admitted. "I don't think so. The human mind is capable of great feats in adversity. All humans have the potential to be psionic, so I would be willing to bet that you would not die. You would adapt, probably develop psionics and find away to escape from even those. Teleporting probably, but no one could know for sure. Not even an Oracle. You would in all likelihood, go mad."

"I _cannot_ be-" Katherine broke off as Nova ran to her and hugged her tight. "Uh... Tenno?" Katherine pleaded.

"There is _one_ place where you can be truly safe, Katherine." Nova said softly. "And to think… I spent all this time trying to find a way _out_." Everyone stared at her and then Galintra hissed. "Yes, dear. The Void. It will sterilize you, Katherine."

"But… They grow _back!_ " Katherine pleaded.

"And then it will happen again. It will hurt a great deal. I need to find a way to reverse this condition of mine." Nova reached out to take the device that Galintra held out to her. She examined it quickly and smiled. "He didn't damage this, thank god, or just this proximity would be dangerous. I can protect you, I can ease you and we can search for cures for the both of us. Together if you so wish."

"I… I don't know. I have never been more than a barely trained combat medic." Katherine turned to see the fallen Sentient flash a little and vanish. "I wouldn't know where to start. All I know is breaking things."

"Well, all _I_ knew was taking orders from madmen. Then I met an utterly insane Tenno named Nyx and my life got _strange._ " Nova smiled as she pulled Katherine to her feet. She looked at Nyx who chuckled, nodded and vanished. "Things change. But if you wish? We can face those changes together." She paused again and shook her head. "And before you get any ideas. I am _mated_." That was both humorous _and_ a warning.

Everyone groaned as Katherine recoiled, but then she smiled.

"I don't swing that way. Also, if I am alive and secure, then if any of Anatoly's energy _did_ survive in some secret hideaway, then I will make dandy bait." Katherine said with a nod.

"True, but I am trying not to be tacky." Nova smiled again as Stephen rose to his feet, swaying but upright. "Better get checked out, Tenno. I have no idea what long term effects such an incident may cause."

"We need to _end_ this." Stephen declared as he shook off Cathi Gata's hand, ignoring her mutter about 'Silly Tenno'.

"Yes. We do." Atlas looked from Nova to Galintra and both female Tenno nodded in unison before turning to Nikis who groaned loudly.

"You gonna make me do it, ain't ya? Gonna make me be ceremonial, ain't ya?"

"If we are going to do it, we need to do it _right_." Atlas replied and Nikis groaned again. "Come off it! I know you like sitting on a throne."

"Don't make me hurt you, Atlas."

* * *

 **Katy Perry 'Firework' and Kenny Loggins 'Footloose' are not my work.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Good bads**

"I am sure wherever or _when_ ever Kronus bounced off to, that he is smirking."

Nikis sat on the sole chair in the room and every single iota of his being pulsed annoyance. He really did not like being the one in charge. Sadly, he was the eldest of the corporeal Tenno. That made him the only viable one to judge such things since shades were barred from it by ancient decree. The walls were bare steel, the floor and ceiling likewise. Nothing to get in the way. Nothing to hide behind. No walls physical or traditional between the judge and his or her subjects to be judged.

"Considering what we make him do every time he travels… Can you really blame him for finding amusement anywhere he can?" Atlas inquired from where he stood by the chair. It wasn't quite a throne, but it was close.

"Considering what _anyone_ with any _brains_ would have done to him when he first showed up?" Nikis growled and Atlas shrugged. "He cannot stop himself. I know that. You know that. But that doesn't change that he screws stuff up."

"That he does." Atlas sighed deeply and nodded to Nikis. "Jokes aside, Nikis. I know this chafes on you, this duty that Hayden laid on you so long ago. Maybe it is time you found a successor? Stepped down?"

"I have been looking." Nikis replied very quietly. "It got old. Real old. Then what happened to Dust and I… I lost it, man. I nearly flipped out then and again with Janet. Power corrupts, we both know this and I am slipping down the slope. What I nearly did, what she saw me do in a vision… It scares me, Atlas."

At any other time, any other place, such an admission would be unthinkable.

"Is there anything I can do?" Atlas asked. "I know I am a shade, but we worry too."

"Yeah, if I flip out, what will it do to you" Nikis asked only to stiffen as Atlas growled at him. "What?"

"You really think _any_ of us care about that?" Atlas snapped, all pretense of civility fleeing from his wrath. "Nikis, you were just a boy when you came to us. You were a broken, hurting kid who had just been infected with the single _worst_ thing any of us have seen. You had just lost your sister. Your father had _sold_ her to Rasputin for drinking money!" Nikis would not meet the angry shade's glare and Atlas continued. "Yes, you are one of the most powerful of us, but as you have repeatedly stated, that does not make you a god, Nikis. Stop trying to take the responsibilities of one!"

"Anyone else talking like that to me would get slapped at the very least." Far from angry, Nikis actually sounded amused.

"Janet?" Atlas asked slyly and Nikis winced.

"Ah, no." Nikis allowed. "She is one of the few who treat me like a regular person. Her and Iriana." He glanced at Atlas. "And you."

"Will you tell Iriana?" Atlas sounded close to tears and Nikis nodded.

"Gotta tell them all." Nikis sighed. "And that is going to go over about as well as a Sand Skate trying to fly. I didn't even think about it, when you and he asked me what you did. It didn't seem like a big deal, but it was."

"We dumped the world on your shoulders, Nikis. An entire undead world." Atlas said with a sigh of his own. "You were up to the task, or we would not have ever even contemplated it. In the end? We laid the burden on you. We hoped to support you and in the end? We failed. I am sorry."

"I swore to Caroline I would protect her and the others." Nikis gave himself a shake. "Ready?"

"No." Atlas assumed a position of parade rest. "But I am as ready as I am going to be."

Nikis nodded and tapped a clawed finger on the arm rest of the chair. The sound echoed through the room and a door that had not been visible on one wall opened. Galintra and Oris walked in. Neither wore any kind of armor, weapons or disguise. Both showed themselves as they truly were. Oris short, stout and broad with a long dark beard. Galintra tall, willowy and almost bursting with restrained energy. Cathi Gata and Stephen strode in behind them, both warframes fully armed but with no weapons in hand. Nova, Katherine and several others crowded the door, but no one else entered. This was a Tenno matter and formal.

"Galintra Darkstorm, Oris Darkstorm." Nikis said formally. "You have both returned to a place where you were barred from returning on pain of death." Both nodded, silent. "Nothing can undo what you did. The many lives lost or destroyed by the madness you both embraced. If you wish to speak in your defense, now is the time."

The two mismatched beings looked at one another and the Oris bowed his head. Galintra met Nikis' gaze.

"There can be no defense." The being who had once been Atlas' daughter said calmly. "I did what I did. I am guilty, as is Oris." Oris nodded, still silent. "What we did might have destroyed the Tenno except for your courage and Hayden's wisdom. We thought we were right and no one else was. In our minds, there was no room for other thoughts. It took literal divine intervention for either of us to see just how wrong we were. Since then, we have both served as we could, hoping for some chance to redeem at least a tiny little fraction of what we did. We failed." She slumped.

"No, we didn't." Oris said before Nikis could. Everyone stared at him, Galintra included! Then she snarled.

"What have you _done,_ you crazy dwarf?" Galintra demanded. She blanched and hurriedly bowed to Nikis. "Apologies, Honored Judge, for speaking out of turn."

"Shut it, girl." Nikis snapped at her and then focused on Oris. "Aerie is dead, Oris." Oris nodded. "Okay, I find myself repeating her words: What have you done?"

"You know who I serve." Oris said flatly. Nikis nodded, his posture suddenly intent. "Galintra wishes an end to her immortal servitude. I do not. What I did is a matter of record. I cannot undo that. All I can do is go on. Some things need to be fixed, others broken. The dead can do neither. I wish to continue as I have been, because now, I know I am doing the right thing."

"Because you have someone directing you who you can trust." Nikis mused and Oris nodded.

"Mortals lie, mortals cheat, mortals will do anything they can to survive. Even most energy forms are mortal. You know this." Oris said with a shrug. "The Breaker does not care. He cares when things get broken that he doesn't _want_ broken." At that, Galintra paled and Nikis stiffened.

"You do not mean what I think you mean, do you?" Nikis inquired carefully.

"You met the Breaker." Oris bowed to Nikis who stared at him. "You tell me."

"You… _met_..." Atlas started, only to pause in mid-word and both Galintra and Nikis shushed him.

" _You do not want to know_." Nikis said softly and Galintra nodded quickly, her face ashen. "His domain is an afterlife that is far worse than anything you can think of. Any accounts of human Hell pale by comparison."

"Nikis? What did you _do?_ " Atlas all but begged.

"He did what I did." Oris spoke up again. "He got cocky and paid for it just as I did. No more will be said of that." That was a promise and Nikis relaxed a little. Only a little. "Aerie did not deserve to be broken. He was and _is_ not happy."

"Aerie is not StormKin." Nikis said, looking at the door where Natasha shook her head. She too had paled at Oris' quiet words.

"You think he cares?" Oris asked. "Oracle Ess." He turned to the door and Ess pushed her way in, her posture timid. "It was not your fault or your mate's. You know this."

"There are things that cannot be fixed. That are broken far beyond any recovery. Some cannot even be remade." Ess said very softly, scared. "I know this just as you do. I cannot be fixed and now? Aerie cannot be."

"Begging the Oracle's pardon, but you are wrong." Oris bent to one knee and laid a small object on the floor. "Aerie was so afraid that she would fall, become a ravening monster. She _begged_ us to take her, to destroy her. _Us._ " He snapped at Ess who recoiled. "Do you have _any_ idea what that means? For an _innocent soul_ to demand such of the _Breaker_ of all people! We are not _good_. We are not _evil_. We are _neutral_. We have to be. That does _not_ mean we are _heartless_."

" _When_ did she-?" Ess broke off and sighed. "She wasn't in stasis, was she?"

"She was." Oris replied as Galintra all but swooned. "But machines and I have an understanding."

"Yeah, work or you break them." Galintra muttered and Oris smirked at her. The gaze he turned to Ess was compassionate.

"Your daughter was badly harmed by evil, but she refused to be evil." Oris was still calm and quiet. "She had her part to play and she played it well, but the show must go on. I was trying to figure out what had happened to her, see if it could be fixed or broken. She spoke to me, mind to mind and begged me to destroy her. To Break her." He shook his head. "I was not a good Tenno, but I do my best to obey my Lord's tenets now. I have no _right_ to decide what needs to be broken. _He_ chooses to break or not. He chose to try to fix her instead. Do what you will with me for my trespasses, Grandmaster Nikis but Aerie deserved better."

He rose and stepped back from the tiny blue crystal that lay on the floor. It was about the size of a human fingernail and glowing slightly. Everyone stared at it and then Nikis spoke slowly.

"Beware the gifts of the Gods." Nikis quoted very quietly. "They often hide curses."

"That they do." Oris agreed. "And there _is_ a curse attached. That crystal, once broken, will release Aerie into your world again. She will be as she was when she went into stasis. Her energy is altering. Nothing we did stopped it. Nothing _anyone_ did could stop it and many _tried_. As I say, it is not every day an innocent soul begs for such a thing. That is not a small matter even for one such as my Lord."

"No." Ess took a slow step and when Nikis nodded, went to both knees staring at the crystal. "Is she…? Is this…? What _is_ this?"

"It is tech you do not have here and it cannot be reproduced here." Oris replied. "They are called 'soul crystals'. They were intended as prisons, but in the end? It is gentle confinement. She sleeps and will until the crystal is broken. When it is broken, she will appear as she was. A human, changing into more and less." Ess looked a question at Nikis who nodded.

"I..." Ess shook her head. "Why?" She turned to Oris, her entire posture one of barely repressed rage now. " _Why?_ " She demanded. "She was _ready!_ _I_ was ready, damn it!"

"You are needed." Oris was unmoved. "If you fall, this reality may very well follow. Who could replace you in your duty? Oracle Janet is needed where she is and no one else understands everything that needs to be done."

"I was ready." Ess repeated through tears now. "Aerie needed me, but with her gone… I was _ready_ for this horror filled existence to _end!_ "

Galintra stared from her to Oris and back. "It wasn't _Aerie_ who the Oracle who sent us feared falling, was it?" She asked. Oris shook his head. "And you were not going to say." He shook his had again. "Figures."

"Ess." Nikis said softly as the Oracle cried. "What can I do?" He offered.

"You have your own burdens, Nikis." Ess said with a growl as she swept the crystal up in one hand and it vanished somewhere on her warframe. "I will not add to them. I need… I need time to think." She growled at Oris and left the room.

"Okay." Nikis said after Ess was gone. "That was a good thing. As to whether or not she _does_ release Aerie? That is her choice. No one else's. Kid is still changing and nothing can stop that."

"No." Oris and Galintra both agreed. Oris continued. "She may or may not be driven mad by it. If anyone can help her through such, the Oracles can. No one else. As I say, not a small matter."

"No." Nikis shifted a bit in his chair. "You both come before me for judgment. You have both broken your exile." The pair of extra-reality beings nodded, silent. "Atlas swore to kill Galintra if she ever appeared again after we found out all of what she did to make her Tenno." Galintra bowed her head. "Oris? You..." Nikis sighed deeply. "You have no family here and so, the burden falls to me to slay you if I judge such. Part of me burns to strike you both down where you stand. You very nearly destroyed us _all_. Your madness, hubris, whatever the hell you want to call it, you divided the Tenno at a time when we did not need to be divided. After Hayden fell, we all felt lost. We all had no way of knowing which way to go. You both took advantage and as I say, we all paid for it. Your final duel sent shocks throughout our small society. The Guardian who took your energy afterwards and brought both to me to judge is lost to us."

"What?" Galintra begged. Oris too looked shocked. "Neither of us _touched_ her!"

"If you _had_ , you would have _died_." Nikis replied, his tone cold. "She hasn't been seen or sensed by any Tenno since then. We fear her gone forever."

"No!" Galintra pleaded. "She did as we asked! No more!"

"And you _broke_ her!" Nikis snapped. "Anahera was calm, gentle and compassionate even as a Guardian. If _I_ had been the one you had approached, I would have shot you both on the spot! She didn't. She did as you directed and it cost her everything. She could not stop crying the whole time I talked to her. I tried to help her and I couldn't. She vanished a few days later. If you had come to me, it wouldn't have happened."

"That is why we didn't. You would have killed us." Galintra said weakly. "She... No! She cannot be _gone!_ " Oris laid a hand on her arm and Galintra shook her head. "No! She cannot be. She has to be here."

"Who are _we_ to decide a Tenno's fate after what we did, Galintra?" Oris asked. "If she chose a path, it is hers to walk. Not ours."

"And if she didn't?" Galintra pleaded. "If our madness _did_ something to her?" Oris looked at her, grunted and then looked at Nikis who shrugged.

"That is neither here nor there." Nikis said after a moment. "You are both guilty of crimes for which there can be no pardon. Your crimes demand your deaths and the destruction of your energy. Hayden argued to give you another chance but that was before we found out the depths of of depravity you had sunk to, Galintra. Or the horrors you had inflicted, Oris." He slowly shook his head. "That said… I don't think anyone in this reality can kill you and make it stick."

Both Oris and Galintra shook their heads in unison. The silence stretched on as Nikis thought hard.

"If I may?" Atlas inquired of Nikis who nodded. "What they are doing, I do not understand it all, and I think am glad of that." Nikis, Oris and Galintra all nodded. "Would it be considered hard labor?"

"Just about the hardest labor you can imagine." Nikis actually shuddered. "Actually? Worse. The job sucks worse than mine. One reason I came back." Atlas stared at him and then slowly nodded. "What is your thought?"

"Permanent exile." Atlas said very quietly. "They must never return. Are there any who can keep them from doing so?"

"Yes." Nikis' reply was flat. "There are some that even Darkstorms know better than to cross. Their Lord and Lady are high on that list and if _they_ swear that these will not return, they will not."

"We need closure." Atlas slumped. "Not pointless death. There is enough of that."

Nikis spoke something in a language that most present did not know. Oris and Galintra both stiffened to attention as two forms shimmered into being nearby. The man and woman looked human, but were not.

"We can bar them from this reality." The incredibly deep voice of the male was sad. "Only Galintra has family here and she will trust us to protect them if needed."

"Family?" Atlas said softly.

"Yes, you disowned her as was your right." The female form said quietly. "Her mother did not. You both blur the edges of our rules as energy forms, but we count you both as kin." Nikis and Galintra both started to protest and the female smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Feel free to argue if you wish."

"Um, no." Nikis and Galintra both gulped in unison.

"Then… It is time." The female stepped forward and laid a hand on Oris' shoulder. He bowed his head and vanished. She turned to Galintra and paused. "Have you told her?"

"Nay, Mi'lady." Galintra said a bit weakly. "There has not been time."

"Tell her. Now." The other's word was a command. Galintra shared at Nikis who shrugged and waved at her to speak.

"Nova? Mother? I have to tell you something and it will come as a shock to both you and the one who sired me." Galintra said sadly. "I hope to see you again someday, someday when we are less constrained by the evils we have done."

"Galintra..." Nova stepped forward, careful not to touch anyone. Natasha paced her. "Something worse?"

"No." Galintra smiled a bit sadly. "Will she be able to visit?" She all but begged the other.

"We will talk." The not-human female said firmly. "Tell her. _Now_."

"Um, there is no easy way to say this." Galintra sighed and then straightened. "You are a great grandmother."

"I am… _what?_ " Nova all but shouted that. Natasha laid a hand on her arm as Nova looked to collapse. Atlas did not look much better. "You… I..."

"I didn't even think I would be able to come back!" Galintra stammered weakly. "I didn't _plan_ on it happening. It just did! And then... more." She slumped as Atlas stared at her in shock. "I um..."

"How many?" Atlas sounded punch drunk and who could blame him?

"Two boys, three girls. Nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren." Galintra paused and then sighed. "So far. I am sure that at least one of my grandchildren is going to have another soon. She is that way. A glutton for punishment."

Atlas and Nova stared at one another. As one, they chorused. "Insanity is hereditary."

"Yea." Galintra sighed as she vanished along with the Lady and the Lord of the Darkstorms. "You get it from your _kids!_ "

Nikis stared from Atlas to Nova and back and then he chuckled.

"What?" Atlas demanded.

"Can you think of a _worse_ punishment than being a parent? A grandparent?" Nikis asked slyly. Nova stared at him and then she too chuckled. Atlas just shook his head. "Tell me she is not going to suffer."

" _Great_ -grandchildren..." Atlas mused and then sighed. "And I assume she doesn't get to spoil them and hand them back?" He asked Natasha sourly.

"Not a chance." Natasha agreed, her smile wide.

"Good."


	20. Chapter 20

**Lines of secession**

"I don't know what to do."

Ess' voice held heartbreak as she stared at the tiny blue crystal in her palm.

"Oh, god, Aerie! I don't know what to _do!_ "

The Oracle sat in her favorite spot in the tiny aquatic habitat that she called home now. The tiny window looked out into dark depths that were always changing as tides rolled and swept as water always did. She did not know exactly where the place was and frankly? She was glad of that. Too much information was her curse. She was aware of another presence before the being in question cleared her throat. She did _not_ expect the _voice!_

"I have no wish to intrude, Oracle Ess." Ess turned incredulous eyes to see Eliza standing there! Not the Empress, the woman! She wore no crown, no gown of state. Instead, she wore a simple blue bodysuit that looked armored and carried a Vectis Prime rifle as if she knew how to use it. She slung the rifle even as Ess started to stiffen. "I am sorry. Paranoia was a survival skill for such as myself when I lived among your kind. Old habits die hard, especially in such times as these." She held out empty hands. A Tenno gesture of offering a hospitable greeting to Ess. "I come in peace."

"He serves you." Ess said with a growl that almost hid her sobs. Almost. "I cannot trust you."

"You can trust that I know what it is to lose a daughter, several, and by an absolute miracle, get one _back_." Eliza sounded halfway to tears herself. "What happened to Aerie was just as bad as what happened to mine if not worse. Four of mine sleep in the database and the other? She grooms herself to take my place when I finally shuffle off the mortal coil." The ancient human shook her head. "If I had any choice whatsoever, I would tell her to cast the crown into the Sun the moment I pass. Before it locks onto her and shoves this whole mess into _her_ brain."

"It wouldn't work." Ess said softly and Eliza shook her head.

"No." Eliza sat at the door she had used to enter and shook her head. "One of my less than esteemed ancestors tried just that." She shivered. "Not a bright move. That is actually why and how I am here, now. No one knows I am gone from Avalon. No one knows I am here but you."

"No one?" Ess asked, sudden fear rising.

"Jesse may." Eliza allowed. "That girl is brighter than any three geniuses I have ever met but she also knows when to keep her mouth shut. Mostly." She qualified with a small grin as Ess goggled at her. "She won't talk about this and in few minutes? It won't matter. I will not hurt you." She promised as Ess recoiled. "You have been hurt enough."

"What are you going to do?" Ess demanded tightly, poised to fight or flee.

"I am giving to give you the burden of knowledge that you do not have." Eliza replied. "And then, I am going to give you a choice that I was denied. I was needed doing what I am. I was suited for it and the only survivor who was genetically compatible with the crown, so I was really the only person for the job. That is the _only_ reason I survived my wounds. Well, that and stubborn beyond all sense Royal Guard refusing to let me die." That was fondly exasperated.

"You were injured, taken to Avalon." Ess said faintly.

"I was shot, woke up there and was all but _thrown_ at the crown." Eliza sighed and then gave herself a shake. "Even as jaded and bitter as I was after so many losses and injuries, I knew my duty." She looked away. "I _thought_ I did anyway. I didn't know even a quarter of the truth. No one does. Not even you Oracles. Not even the _wardens_ can know it _all_."

"No." Ess sighed. "So why here? Why now? Aerie?" She should have tensed, but she was so tired. So weak. So sad and weak.

"Yes, but not the way you might think." How had Eliza gotten across the room? How was she suddenly holding Ess as the Oracle sobbed? Why was she too crying softly? "You have suffered enough. _She_ has suffered enough. You have both earned a rest. A rest I am going to see you get and if that liar even looks at you again, I will have him punished."

"I… I was ready." Ess said weakly. "But Aerie needed me and..." She broke off and could nothing but sob as Eliza held her. Wait! Where had her warframe gone? Why was she suddenly clad in golden robes? Why did they feel _right?_ "What?" She pleaded. "No..."

"It is all right, Ess. This is not me doing this. I know who is though." Eliza held the suddenly terrified Tenno in gentle arms that were oddly impossible to break free from. When she spoke again, it was to someone else. "Leave her alone! You have no right! She has suffered _enough!_ Even before you dropped the liaison with the wardens on her, she had suffered enough! No more!"

"Someone had to take up the burden." Who was that? Whoever it was, the voice was female and sounded Tenno. It held faint crying? But it was also cold and hard enough that Ess shivered again. "She was available. Better her than the girl."

" _Ess_ is just a girl!" Eliza snapped. "She was barely out of adolescence when her curse struck. When they gave her a warframe praying it would help her stay sane! She never had a _chance_ to grow up! I will not let you hurt her again! Her _or_ her daughter! You _will_ leave them out of this or you will answer to me!"

"Empress..." The other actually groaned. "You know the rules as well as we do. Kronus' manipulations tore this reality apart. We have to put it back together. She cannot remember this. You know this!"

"And her daughter?" Eliza snarled. Something unseen passed and Eliza all but snapped. "No! Not acceptable!"

"I do not make the rules any more than you do, Empress." The other said flatly. "You cannot change what cannot be changed. Tenno exist. The Sentients exist. Orokin fell. These are facts that cannot be altered. These are the basis for your reality. Everything else can be altered, but you, Ess and Aerie cannot be in the same place. You are three different- _NO!_ " The other all but screamed as Eliza laid a hand on Ess'. The one that held the crystal!

"You will not harm my sister or my niece!" Eliza said and she was suddenly glowing with golden power. "You will _not."_

"Sister?" Ess asked, confused.

"Once, a very long time ago even as Tenno count time..." The other said very quietly as unearthly power built up around the pair. "...a young Emperor of Orokin made a grave mistake and it cost thousands their lives." She paused and then sighed. "Along with those humans, a dozen Tenno perished utterly, energy and flesh alike. Gone in an instant due to a threat that was taken as a bluff. A bluff that turned out not to be one."

"I never saw this." Eliza said weakly.

"You wouldn't have." Eliza replied. "It was all covered up, forgotten. Only one young Tenno survived the horror and he was shattered by it. He was broken in so many ways, body and soul. The Emperor took him in, gave him a home to replace what the fool had cost the young one. In time, the young Tenno recovered as well as he could and became a Tenno, a warrior and defender. One whose home is the shadows. One you know very well. The one you once called 'mate'."

"You… You mean _Sun!_ " Ess said in shock and Eliza gave her a squeeze.

"Sun is a member of the Royal Family." Eliza hugged her again. "That means, so are _you_. And so is _she_." She nodded to the hand that held the crystal. "And _that_ means that _anyone_ who dares harm my sister _ever_ again will answer to _me._ " She looked up and snarled. "Anyone at _all!_ "

When Ess looked with both sight and psionics, there was no one there! But the voice came anyway.

"Eliza, you know we have no leeway in this. We have to change things back." The other sounded long suffering now. "Nocters are not easy at all. You know this. We have one chance to get it all right and you will not survive if you stand in its way. I cannot let you do that. You are needed."

" _Screw you!_ " Eliza snapped. "My sister and her daughter need me. To hell with you _and_ your rules! My _family_ comes _first!_ "

"Eliza, don't do this!" Ess' eyes all but fell out of her head as a form straight out of a nightmare oozed into being in front of them. The many segmented body stood on three sets of small legs to eye the both of them with many compound eyes. Many small arms were waving in agitation. "Eliza, please! Be reasonable! We are not going to _hurt_ them! That would make even _more_ of a mess!"

"No!" Eliza was on her feet and her rifle in hand. Her armor morphed into something akin to a warframe! "She has suffered _enough!_ I will _not_ let you take my sister or her daughter. It would hurt both even if you take her memories with Aerie!" Why was her rifle suddenly glowing? And _what_ it was glowing? Um… That wasn't a color! More an absence of all color! Black shouldn't glow, should it? "Do whatever the hell else you want, but leave them _out_ of this!"

"You know we cannot do that, Eliza. They are part of this now. They are intricately connected to far too much to leave as they are." The other said sadly as several bladed weapons appeared in several of her hands. "Stand down. You are needed. Michelle is not ready to take the throne."

"To take your _orders_ you mean!" Eliza snapped.

"Don't make me hurt you, Eliza." The other warned as Ess stared from one to the other in shock. "You know I do not want to. Even if you do not remember it after, it does hurt. I do not like hurting people!"

"Then don't." Ess said weakly. "Why are you doing this? You are obviously not from around here."

"You don't say." The other said in a slightly mocking voice. Ess glared at the other, but her heart wasn't in it. "Oracle, you of all people know what happens when a story goes off the rails."

"I do. Will it hurt?" Ess pleaded, holding the crystal with Aerie in it tight.

"No, Ess, it won't!" Eliza snarled, a sound more akin to a rabid Drakh than a human. "Because it is _not_ going to _happen_. You _will_ leave her and Aerie out of it!"

"You know I cannot do that, Eliza. Such would drive them both mad and the result would tear the reality apart again." The other said sadly. "You of all people know that. Don't make me do this!" She begged. "Aerie cannot stay as as she will be. Ess cannot go with her. You are needed. Do not make me hurt you. Stand down. I will not harm them. You know this. It doesn't hurt."

" _No!_ " Far from mollified, Eliza screamed at the alien. " _You just make them all forget who and what they love and-_ "

 **Enough.** The voice was not human. Not Tenno. Nor whatever the hell this other was. The other suddenly fell to the ground, her head touching it. Kneeling? **Oh, do get up, Ana!**

Was the voice chiding now? Ess didn't dare look as a shadow fell over her, a shadow far too large to fit in the small room she was in. Were those _wings?_ A soft hand touched her head and she felt peace descend on her. Peace the likes of which she had never known.

"I..." Eliza swallowed as she stared at whatever was behind Ess. "I… She is my _sister!_ "

 **Yes.** The other replied as softness suffused very piece of Ess' body. **And as you say, she has been hurt enough. You do realize what this means, though?**

"Yes, sir. _"_ Eliza nodded as she slowly holstered her rifle and knelt back by Ess, taking the now shuddering Oracle in her arms. "Orokin has to go. We have outlived our time by far too long. We… We made such a mess and hurt so many. My family should have stopped it and they were too busy playing."

 **Eliza…** Now the other was more than a bit miffed. **Again, you miss the point. The mess was not your fault.** **Taking** **responsibility is all well and good, but** **the Collapse** **was not your doing. You were thrown into the mess, unprepared and alone. Enough. Oracle Ess?** Ess felt scrutiny but again, she did not dare look. **Your sister needs aid. Will you give it?**

"I do not understand." Ess said weakly as the hand started stroking her short hair. Hair that suddenly fell to her shoulders! That didn't bother her for some reason. "My daughter needs me."

 **That she will.** The other replied as the crystal in Ess' hands vanished and Aerie suddenly stood, eyes huge as her body morphed from metal skin to human flesh! She was clad in a bodysuit, but wore no head covering and her long, dark hair fell to her shoulders. **Hello, Aerie.**

"Wha- Oh! _Oh dear!_ " Aerie gasped and then fell to her knees.

" **Oh, not** _ **you**_ **too!** " The other snapped. " **Of all the- Get up before I get a Darkstorm or two in here to kick sense into the** _ **lot**_ **of you! I am not supposed to beat sense into people anymore, but I can ask** _ **them**_ **to.** "

"But..." Aerie swallowed hard as she rose to a squat, but no higher. The other did not move. Aerie looked from Ess to Eliza, to the odd segmented alien and then to whoever was easing Ess. "This is not what was supposed to happen. Was it?"

" **Eliza took matters into her own hands.** " The other replied, amusement warring with exasperation in his tone. " **Your mother is on the edge, as always and Eliza is little better even with all of the help she has available. She never gives herself time to relax so what they can do is limited. ****She saw Ess in pain. She reacted poorly. The Creator may be tough, but he is not blind. Love makes us all do odd things.** "

"I…" Aerie swallowed hard as she patted herself. "Am I human? Tenno? Sentient? What?"

" **That is your choice.** " The other replied kindly. " **No one can make it for you. No one** _ **will**_ **.** " That was hard to the still prostrate segmented alien who nodded, silently. " **Go on, Ana. Get the rest done. They have time to talk.** "

"Yes, my lord." The alien vanished as quickly as she had appeared, leaving Aerie, Eliza and Ess to stare at one another. Ess didn't dare move.

" **I better leave and let you three talk.** " The being behind Ess said as two something swept down to encompass her in an odd, but very comforting hug. " **Be at ease, Oracle. You have but to ask for aid and it will be given.** **"**

"I don't know what to say or how." Ess said weakly.

" **Ask the Reverend Mother.** " The things surrounding her gave her a feathered squeeze and then the embrace vanished along with the _wings_ that had encompassed her. She still felt the comfort though. " **Such things are her job and she too could use a bit of a boost in the faith department after all the mess she has to deal with daily. Eliza, Aerie? Be well.** "

With that, he was gone.

"Um..." Aerie rose to her feet slowly, staring from Eliza to Ess. Then she fell to her knees beside Ess, taking her mother in her arms. "Oh, Mother!"

"I..." Eliza sighed deeply and slumped. "I am intruding." She turned to go, but Ess was on her feet and hugging her before she made a step. Eliza stiffened as Aerie joined the embrace. "Um..."

"I was briefed, Empress."Aerie said very quietly. "You need help and so does my mother. I… I want to stay human. Mother?" She asked as Ess exclaimed, but with joy!

"Tenno are what we are." Ess said with feeling. "Weapons. Some of us transcend that, but in the end, all of what we are is defined by how we were made. Humans have no such limits."

"Um… Ess?" Eliza pulled Ess' hand up to the Oracle's view and Ess stiffened as she saw pale, pink human flesh instead of her metallic skin. "She apparently isn't the _only_ one whose limits just vanished." She smiled as she hugged both Ess and Aerie as both started to cry. "I am not going to question this miracle! I can't wait to introduce you to the _rest_ of your family. We have a lot of work to do, sister, niece."

All three of them spoke as they hugged again. "Together."

* * *

Nowhere nearby

"And done." Sun stepped away from the readouts, more for his own peace of mind than any need to give anyone privacy. Such was an illusion in a networked world anyway. All three would quickly mesh with the new reality and hopefully never realize how skillfully everything had been altered. He turned to the other occupant of the small craft and slowly shook his head. "I did not expect that."

"Eliza never was one to follow any rules but her own." Kronus replied. "The retcon is done. All knowledge of what just happened has been wiped from everywhere else. The timeline has been repaired. Anatoly is still out there in all probability, but he will not be as dangerous now that he has been unmasked. My own origin is less nasty and I made far less of a mess as a result. I was part of helping Nyx craft her decree against time travel and enforced it until I passed into the database. Khronus warframes will appear when the schematics are found and their powers will be far lesser than my own. Tenno will go on as they always have. Eliza, Ess and Aerie will help each other and bolster each other's faith when it falters. They will not remember the visitation, but they will know that they are not alone."

"So I am the only loose end?" Sun asked as he assumed a seiza position.

"Yes. This will be my last jaunt." Kronus said heavily. "Once I go, I am gone for good. My shade won't remember any of this, and thank god! The editors do good work. No one will find any discrepancies."

"You made a mess, you cleaned it up. No singing this time." Sun paused as Kronus all but pouted. "Don't tell me you enjoyed the humiliation." He inquired.

"Not at first, no." Kronus admitted. "But by the end? I got to make people laugh. Was that a good thing? I think so."

"There are worse hobbies." Sun replied. Kronus nodded, flipped him a jaunty salute and vanished, hopefully never to be seen again. Sun sighed heavily and then spoke to thin air. "They all have a chance to be happy now. Thank you."

" **You are welcome.** **You could have taken** **the crown** **from her.** **She would have given it to you gladly.** **You know this.** " The voice was an old friend from the darkest time in Sun's memory. A time when he barely knew who and what he was. Until the faith of many people had helped him recover his wits.

"No one would follow a _Tenno Emperor_. Not after what Galintra and Oris did and certainly not after the Collapse." Sun replied as a shadow fell over him. He didn't bother to look. He knew who it was. "Even with Eliza's acceptance, trying for secession would just be a bloodbath for no gain. Ricard was right. I have no place in Orokin. I have my duty and it will never be to rule."

" **You are far wiser than many,** **old friend** **.** " The hand that touched Sun was also familiar and-

* * *

Sun jerked. His meditation had faded prematurely. He stared around, but nothing had changed. No threats. No alarms. No nothing. He sighed and began the prayers that he did every time he failed a meditation. As he had ever since he was a torn, broken child lost and adrift in a heartless world.

"Our father, who art in heaven..."

An alarm pinged and he set course for a new mission, but never stopped his prayers. He never would. Just as he would never see the dark winged form that hovered close by, a perpetual guardian against the darkness that preyed on the souls of those who walked in the shadows to defend the helpless.

He didn't need to.


End file.
